Box Score WHEATON, Ill. – A valiant effort ended up a bit short as Augustana, ranked 12th in the latest NCAA Division III national ranking, dropped a 66-63 overtime thriller at Wheaton on Saturday, January 11. It was the first College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin loss of the season for the Vikings, who had won two home league games prior to the loss to the Thunder.
 
It was an 8:20 stretch in the second half that put head coach Grey Giovanine's charges in a huge hole. Wheaton had a two point advantage at halftime (33-31) and with 15:36 left in the game it was a one point contest (38-37) in favor of the home team. That was after junior center Kevin Schlitter (Maine South HS, Park Ridge, Ill.) nailed a pair of free throws.
 
From that point until 7:16 remained, Wheaton outscored the Vikings 14-4 to take a 52-41 lead. Just when things looked bleak, sophomore Tayvian Johnson (United Township HS, East Moline, Ill.) got Augustana started with a free throw at 7:07. Nic Hoepfner (United Township HS, East Moline, Ill.) scored at 6:39 to get the deficit into single digits (52-44) and then Hunter Hill (Byron HS, Byron, Ill.) sank two free throws at 5:54 to make it a six point game (52-46).
 
The Vikings continued to chip away and three point field goals by Mark Roth (Washington HS, Metamora, Ill.) at 1:38 and Hill at 1:03 tied the game 57-57. That is the way it stayed in regulation as Augustana held Wheaton scoreless in the final 4:27 of the contest.
 
In the overtime the game was tied 61-61 after Ben Ryan (Washington HS, Washington, Ill.) hit one of two free throws with 1:19 to go. Tyler Peters put Wheaton ahead 63-61 with a basket at :55 and following an Augustana miss, Brayden Teuscher drilled two free throws at :35 to make it 65-61. Hill's basket with just :10 remaining sliced the margin to 65-63 but Peters hit one of two free throws two seconds later to account for the final score.
 
Augustana, which had an 11-game winning streak snapped, is now 12-2 overall and 2-1 in the CCIW. The Vikings shot .583 (14-24) in the first half but in the second half and overtime connected on just 10 of 32 shots for .313. During that same time frame Augustana hit just three of eight free throws. The Vikings did hold a 41-34 advantage in rebounding.
 
Hill led the team in scoring with 12 points while Ryan had 11 and Hoepfner dropped in 10. Ryan was a demon on the boards with 13 rebounds. Augustana was hampered by 22 turnovers.
 
Wheaton had three players with 16 points: Teuscher, Peter Smith and Peters with Smith also hauling in eight rebounds and Peters dishing off a game-high five assists.
 
Augustana will travel to Naperville, Illinois on Wednesday, January 15 for a 7:00 p.m. game against North Central.