Box Score
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana rode a scintillating first-half performance from Hunter Hill (Byron HS, Byron, Ill.) to a 100-69 win over MacMurray Saturday evening at Carver Center. Hill was far from the only red hot Viking as the nation's 15th-ranked team shot .654 from the floor, .632 from beyond the arc and .870 from the line to move to 7-1 on the year. The visiting Highlanders fall to 5-3 on the season.
 
Augustana's Tayvian Johnson (United Township HS, East Moline, Ill.) set the tone on the game's first possession, throwing down a dunk off a feed from Danielius Jurgutis (Downers Grove South HS, Darien, Ill.). MacMurray's Dylan Burton hit Johnson with a forearm after the play and was assessed a technical and Hill began his big night by knocking in both free throws for a 4-0 Viking lead just 12 seconds in.
 
A Burton basket and a three-pointer from Brady Slagle gave the visitors a 5-4 lead and the Highlanders still led after Augustana's Kevin Schlitter and MacMurray's Spencer Pratt traded baskets. Hill gave the Vikings a 9-7 lead with his first of four first-half three-pointers, but Pratt followed with a pair of mid-range jumpers to give the Highlanders an 11-9 advantage.
 
Hill tied it with a jumper and then buried three more treys in a span of less than two minutes as the hosts went ahead 20-13 with 13:44 left in the half.
 
After MacMurray got to within 22-19 on a James Williams three-pointer, junior Mark Roth (Washington HS, Metamora, Ill.) answered with his first of four treys on the night to make it 25-19. The lead continued to build from there, reaching double digits for the first time (29-19) on a Kevin Schlitter (Maine South HS, Park Ridge, Ill.) basket with 9:37 left. It reached 50-31 on a Nic Hoepfner (United Township HS, East Moline, Ill.) free throw with 4:01 left before the Vikings eventually settled for a 58-41 advantage at the break. Hill scored 22 points without missing a shot in the opening 20 minutes. Both teams were on fire, with MacMurray hitting .667 from the floor and Augustana a sizzling .704.
 
The margin ballooned in the second half, with the Vikings shoring up their defensive shortcomings and continuing their unconscious shooting. A Hoepfner put-back with 15:29 left pushed the lead over 20 for the first time. A Roth three a minute later made it 25 (72-47) and a Ben Ryan (Washington HS, Washington, Ill.) jumper at 11:55 pushed it past 30 at 78-47.
 
Coach Grey Giovanine played many of his youngsters for the game's last five minutes. Junior Alex Dziagwa (Riverside Brookfield HS, Riverside, Ill.) hit a pair of free throws with 59 seconds left to get the Vikings to the century mark.
 
Augustana clamped down defensively in the second half, holding the Highlanders to just .345 shooting on 10 of 29 from the field.
 
Hill finished the night with 24 points on 7-of-9 field goal, 4-of-5 three-point and 6-of-6 free throw shooting. Roth hit four of five threes and a pair of free throws for 14 points and Hoepfner (12) and Ryan (10) also reached double figures, hitting eight of 10 shots from the field between them.  Ryan also had a game-high five rebounds and tied sophomore Jawan Straughter (Plainfield East HS, Bolingbrook, Ill.) for game high honors with four assists.  
 
The Vikings are back at home on Wednesday, December 18, taking on Mount St. Joseph. Tip off at Carver Center is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.