Hayden Audette, contributor

As the basketball season gets underway, both the Augsburg Mens and Womens Basketball teams have gotten off to tremendous starts, sitting at the top of the MIAC standings in both leagues. Both teams are 5-0 in conference play, with wins over the same five schools. 

Both Auggie teams have standout players with a strong supporting cast around them. On the men’s side, the Auggies pulled away from St. Scholastica at home thanks in large part to contributions from leading scorers Joe Palmer, Rayquan Moore, and Jack Sorenson. Those three players all reached double figures, and combined for 50 of the Auggies’ 83 points all by themselves. Rayquan Moore is a new addition for the Auggies this year and he has proven that he belongs. Moore brings energy and intensity for the Auggies every game. The women’s team had similar results in Duluth, where they jumped out to a 30-7 lead after one quarter and never looked back. They had a trio of players reach double figures as well, as Jen Masello, Anja Smith, and Kalena Myers combined for 57 points in a dominating 82-55 road victory. 

The following Saturday afternoon on Dec. 4, both teams hosted Carleton in a doubleheader at Si Melby Hall. The Auggie Women started off the doubleheader with a 27 point win against the Knights. Once again, Smith, Myers, and Masello led the way, as they all reached double figures for the second time in a week. Smith topped the scoring chart with 23, and Myers and Masello both went 7 for 8 on field goal attempts, with 18 and 14 points respectively. These contributions helped the Auggie women win 72-45 and stretch their win streak to 4 games. 

Not to be outdone, the men’s team nearly broke a school record when it was their turn to face Carleton. Their 88-69 win was highlighted by 17 made three-pointers, just one shy of tying the school record. The Auggies have been lethal from beyond the arc this year, so no one should be surprised if they break this record this year. Seven of those three-pointers came from Joe Palmer, who once again led the scoring with 31. Matt Carik and Jack Sorenson also got into double figures, and six different Auggies made at least one three-pointer. 

It is unclear how long the hot streak for both Augsburg basketball teams will last, but it appears as it definitely has potential to last the rest of the season for both teams. The Auggie mens team’s next game will be against University of Wisconsin River-Falls on Dec. 15. The Auggie women will play their next game at home against St. Catherine University on Jan. 5.