Box Score
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Hunter Hill (Byron HS, Byron, Ill.) scored 15 consecutive first-half points and finished the night with a game-high 29 as 12th-ranked Augustana knocked off third-rated Illinois Wesleyan 81-73 Wednesday at Carver Center. The Vikings improve to 12-1 overall and 2-0 in the CCIW, while the Titans fall to 11-2 and 1-1 in the league.
 
IWU's Andrew Ziemnik scored seven points as the visitors ran out to a 19-12 lead nine minutes in. A Kevin Schlitter (Maine South HS, Park Ridge, Ill.) basket, an old-fashioned three-point play by Hill and a dunk by Tayvian Johnson (United Township HS, East Moline, Ill.) got Augustana even at 19-19 with 10:22 left in the half.
 
Ziemnik split a pair of free throws to put the Titans on top one final time, but Hill scored the game's next 15 points in a span of 2:01 to give the Vikings a 34-20 advantage. During his explosion, the sophomore point guard hit four three-pointers and completed another conventional three-point play. After a pair of Eric Dortch free throws for the Titans, sophomore forward Brandon Motzel (Carmel Catholic HS, Buffalo Grove, Ill.) scored two field goals on the same possession to complete a 26-3 run that put Augustana up 38-22.
 
Michael Mayberger's trey with 1:36 left in the half trimmed IWU's deficit to 10, but Motzel knocked in two free throws with 42 seconds left and the Vikings went to the locker room leading 46-34. All of Hill's 18 first-half points came in a span of 2:45.
 
With the Titans focused on Hill, Schlitter and sophomore Griffin Pils (Libertyville HS, Libertyville, Ill.) kept the hosts rolling offensively early in the second half. Schlitter scored Augustana's first four points on a layup and a baseline jumper and Pils scored eight straight for the Vikings as they maintained a lead of 60-46 with 13:18 to go.
 
However, IWU's Jordan Nelson scored five points in an 8-0 Titan run that trimmed the Vikings' lead to six with 9:56 left. Schlitter came up with a huge offensive rebound on Augustana's next possession and found Hill behind the arc for his fifth trey of the evening to stanch the flow.
 
Another Titan push cut the margin to three at 66-63 with 6:22 to play, but Hill answered with a field goal. Victor Davis' bucket with 5:14 left got IWU within three again, but Danielius Jurgutis (Downers Grove South HS, Darien, Ill.) and Nic Hoepfner (United Township HS, East Moline, Ill.) sandwiched two free throws each around a Johnson bucket to put the Vikings up 74-65 with 1:33 remaining. Jurgutis hit three of four freebies and Hill four of four in the final minute to hold off the Titans.
 
Hill hit nine of 13 shots from the floor, including five of seven three-point attempts, and all six of his free throws to extend his current string of makes from the stripe to 22. He's now converted 40 of his last 41 tries. Jurgutis joined him in double figures with 10. Johnson, Pils and Hoepfner added eight apiece. Sophomore Ben Ryan (Washington HS, Washington, Ill.) led the team with seven rebounds and Hill had a game-high three steals. Ziemnik led IWU with 23 points and seven boards.
 
Each team shot .500 from the field, but the Vikings hit six of 12 (.500) trey attempts, while the Titans, who came into the game shooting .463 from beyond the arc, hit just five of 19 (.263). Augustana won the battle of the boards 33-31 and committed 11 turnovers while forcing 14 by IWU.
 
The Vikings face another tough CCIW challenge on Saturday, January 11, when they travel to Wheaton, Illinois to take on the Thunder. Tipoff at King Arena is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.