Vikings Athletics Staff

CAMROSE, Alta. - The Augustana Vikings men's basketball team were able to secure their first victory of the New Year with an 85-78 win over the visiting Nait Ooks on Saturday evening. In a game which featured eight lead changes throughout the night, Augustana scored 29 points in the fourth quarter to close out the contest and keep their playoff hopes alive in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference north division.

The Ooks were led on the evening by Yasser Abdullahi who put up 19 points to go along with three rebounds and an assist. Abdullahi and the Ooks held an 11 point lead in the fourth quarter with 8:46 remaining in the game when the Vikings three point shooting began to heat up. Thanks to timely shots by Ryan Degner and Marc Parma the Augustana men used the home crowd advantage to build momentum while ACAC leading rebounder Jack Smilski delivered the biggest block of his career to ensure the Vikings would hold on for victory. 

Amari Lessa Linklater was a shining spot for the Ooks all night long, Linklater controlled much of the game for the Ooks and ended the evening with 14 points while being named the player of the game. Perhaps the difference on the night was the performance from Ryan Degner for the Vikings who put up 29 points, five rebounds and four assists in 32 minutes on the hard court. 

The Ooks (5-9) will now enjoy a weekend off while the Vikings (3-10) will hope their momentum will carry into a home and home series with The King's University Eagles, the Vikings and Eagles will tip off at 8pm Friday evening at the Augustana Campus with more playoff implications on the line. 

Player of the Game

Augustana Vikings - Jon Mueller

Nait Ooks - Amari Lessa Linklater