St. Cloud State
21-5,18-2NSIC
Augustana
17-8,15-5NSIC
Huskies Win NSIC Championship Following 87-80 Comeback Victory Over Augustana
2/15/2026 3:20:00 AM | Men's Basketball
SCSU rallies from 16-point deficit to win 14th straight game
Sioux Falls, S.D. – St. Cloud State Men's Basketball (21-5, 18-2 NSIC) did something they haven't done in over 20 years Saturday evening and that was win the conference championship. An 87-80 thrilling comeback victory over the Augustana Vikings sealed the regular season NSIC Title for St. Cloud State. The Huskies rallied from a 16-point second half deficit to win their 14th straight game.
SCSU burst out of the gates with a 15-6 lead through the first three and a half minutes as a fastbreak layup by Lee Marks III forced an Augustana timeout. The Vikings would slowly come back into the game but an and-one layup by Luke Winkel kept the lead for SCSU at 24-23 with 8:41 left in the half. The Vikings moved forward with their momentum as 12-2 run gave them a nine-point advantage and led to a Huskies timeout. Augustana would shoot 54% from the field and 40% from three in the first half as they led 50-40 at halftime. Anish Ramlall came away with a key buzzer beating floater to end the half.
Out of the break, St. Cloud State stayed within striking distance, but were unable to get closer than nine points through the first few minutes. Back-to-back threes by the Vikings pushed the lead to 16 as SCSU called a timeout with Augustana holding all the momentum. Out of the timeout, St. Cloud State rallied with a 12-2 run, all from beyond the arc over the next five minutes to cut the deficit down to six points. Nate Dahl made his return to the lineup and knocked in two of those threes. After an abnormal defensive first half, SCSU found their groove on that end and showcased why they are the top unit in the NSIC. St. Cloud State flied around on defense and contested shots to gather momentum for the offense. Off a trap near halfcourt, Marks III would come up with a poke away and coasted for a breakaway dunk to set the score at 69-67 with the Huskies now only trailing by two with 8:37 left. St. Cloud State would take their first lead since the first half as Kynan Philippe cashed a slot three off a pick and pop with 6:31 remaining to set the score at 73-71. The game would be tied at 75 with less than three minutes left, but it was Philippe who again broke the tie with another critical three, this time from the top of the key. With under two minutes left, St. Cloud State held a 78-77 lead and the ball. Winkel and Wyatt Hawks worked a pick and roll as the sophomore found the big man rolling with a great pocket pass. Hawks finished the inside layup with 1:44 left in the game as SCSU now led by three. The potent Huskies defense would come away with steal in the clutch on the ensuing possession as Winkel came over from help side to nab the steal. SCSU would work the clock before missing an inside finish, but for the second straight game, the Huskies would come up with a massive offensive rebound in the clutch, this time from Dahl. Working more clock knowing a bucket would go a long way with the 40 seconds left in the game, St. Cloud State again went to a pick roll between the Winkel and Hawks pairing. Coming down the middle, Winkel had space for a floater, but it would hit back iron. The White Bear Lake native in Hawks was not boxed out on his roll and one of the best offensive rebounders in the conference made the Vikings pay as he jammed home a massive putback dunk as Augustana called a timeout now trailing by five. With the Vikings needing a quick bucket, Sam Rensch gathered a head of steam as he attacked Hawks in a one-on-one situation in an open floor following a SCSU press. Rensch went right at Hawks with a euro step layup, but Hawks went right back at him as he swatted his shot off the backboard. Marks III corralled the rebound and outlet it to Winkel as Augustana looked to foul. Winkel would throw an outlet of his own to Hawks who had sprinted up the court as no Vikings were near him. He would catch the ball, take two dribbles, and deliver the exclamation point with a vicious two-handed dunk which ultimately sealed the victory as the Huskies now led by seven with 28 seconds remaining. St. Cloud State would go on to win 87-80 to claim their first NSIC Title since 2003. After Augustana took a 16-point lead, SCSU would outscore them 38-15 the rest of the way. They held the Vikings to 39% shooting in the second half from the field and 27% from three while forcing seven turnovers.
Top Huskies
- Kynan Philippe led the Huskies in scoring with 19 points (6/9), four rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Philippe went 5/5 from three which was a career-high in three-point makes. This was his third game exceeding 19+ points.
- Lee Marks III notched his first career double-double with 15 points and a career-high 10 rebounds. Marks III shot 6/9 from the field to go with two assists and a steal.
- Wyatt Hawks totaled 13 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and a block. This was Hawks' sixth game scoring 13+ points.
Notables
- St. Cloud State is now 51-46 all-time against Augustana.
- SCSU won the NSIC Regular Season title for the first time since 2003 as well as the South Division title. The last time the Huskies won the Division was 2014. This was the 24th regular season title for St. Cloud State and third Division title.
- The Huskies led the game in field goal percentage (48.3-47.1), three-pointers made (12-9), free throws made (17-7), steals (7-3), fast break points (8-6), and bench points (14-13).
- SCSU won their 14th straight game which is the longest streak since 1985-86 where they won 19 games in a row.
- Anish Ramlall tallied 13 points, three assists, three steals, and three three-pointers. This was his sixth game with 3+ threes and fourth game with 3+ steals.
- Luke Winkel was the final Husky to score in double-figures as he scored 13 points to go with three rebounds, and six assists. This was his fourth game dishing 6+ assists.
- Nate Dahl returned to the lineup and logged nine points and five rebounds in 17 minutes. He shot 3/5 from the field and 2/2 from three.
- Azayah Washington registered three points and two rebounds.
Up Next
St. Cloud State will be back in action next Wednesday as they take on Concordia-St. Paul in their home finale.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Men's Basketball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
