ROCK ISLAND -- The Augustana Vikings men's basketball team will be back at the Carver Center on Wednesday, February 19 when it hosts the Wheaton Thunder in a conference battle.

Augie currently sits at 14-9 overall and 7-7 in the CCIW, recently seeing its four-game winning streak come to and on Saturday in an 81-71 road loss at Carroll. It was a back and forth opening half that featured seven lead changes through the first 10 minutes of action. Augie grabbed its first lead at 6-5 after back-to-back baskets by Ray Maurchie and Staishaun Kelley before a three-point play from Colton Gillingham around the halfway point granted the Vikings the first multi-possession lead for either team at a score of 21-17. Augustana remained in front over the course of the next four minutes until a tie at 26 followed with alternating baskets through the end of the period. An Evan Ambrose three-pointer with under a minute remaining game the Vikings some separation at 38-34, but a free throw from the home team inched them closer to end the half. 

In the second, the Pioneers erased the five-point deficit with a 10-0 scoring run to flip a 47-42 deficit into a 52-37 lead. Augustana fought to play catch up and evened the score at 55 apiece on an Ambrose layup with just under eight minute to go, but hot three-point shooting allowed Carroll to pull away for good. The Pioneers ended the game shooting 13-25 from deep, good for 52 percent, and hit 9-16 in the second half alone. Consecutive three-pointers from Tyler Knuth got the Vikings within three at 70-67 around the three-minute mark, but free throws down the stretch sealed the win for Carroll. Knuth led the Vikings with 20 points and five made threes, while Ambrose also finished in double figures with 13. 

Wheaton enters Wednesday with a 6-17 overall record and 3-11 mark in the CCIW. The Thunder recently saw their three-game winning streak come to an end on Saturday, falling to Carthage on the road by a score of 89-80. The Firebirds led 48-42 after 20 minutes of action before out-scoring the Thunder by three in another high-scoring half. CCIW scoring leader Soren Richardson fueled Wheaton with 30 points, his eighth straight game scoring 20 or more and his fourth 30-plus game this season. The loss halted a three-game streak for the Thunder scoring 85 or more points. Wheaton is currently in the midst of three consecutive contests on the road, where they sport a 3-6 this season.

Wednesday will be the 152nd all-time meeting between the two teams, with Augustana leading the series 80-71. The Vikings have won two of the last three meetings, including a 75-62 road win earlier this season. Knuth scored 22 points in the win, while Chase Larsen added 17. Augie held Wheaton's Richardson to just 10 points, his second lowest output of the season, on 3-11 shooting. 

Start time is scheduled for 7 p.m.