Box Score BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Wheaton turned up the defensive pressure on Augustana in the second half of the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin semi-final on Friday, February 28 in the Shirk Center in Bloomington, Illinois and the result was a 66-55 defeat that knocked the Vikings out of the conference tournament. Augustana, which was the third seed coming in, is now 19-7 overall and will await its fate in terms of an NCAA Division III at-large berth in the national tournament.
 
Augustana took a 33-31 lead into the locker room at halftime and led by four (42-38) early in the second half when sophomore guard Hunter Hill (Byron HS, Byron, Ill.) hit three free throws after being fouled on a three-point field goal attempt at 17:01.
 
Wheaton tied the game at 42-42 on a pair of free throws by Michael Berg at 15:31 and took the lead (44-42) on a basket by Nate Haynes at 14:54. That would be a lead the Thunder would never relinquish.
 
Sophomore forward Ben Ryan (Washington HS, Washington, Ill.) scored at 13:48 to close the gap to 45-44 but Wheaton went on a 14-4 run and with 5:29 left held an 11-point lead (59-48). The Vikings got it to within eight on a three point field goal by sophomore Jake Norcia (Highland Park HS, Highland Park, Ill.) with 1:50 to go but could get no closer.
 
In the second half Augustana only attempted 18 field goals, making six, as the Thunder forced 13 of the Vikings 19 turnovers in the final 20 minutes of action. Neither team shot the ball particularly well as Augustana was at .432 (19-44) from the field and Wheaton at .400 (18-45). However, the Thunder did convert on 25 of 35 free throws while Augustana hit on 14 of 20.
 
The Vikings had just one player in double figures and that was Hill with 10 while Ryan and sophomore guard Jawan Straughter (Plainfield East HS, Bolingbrook, Ill.) each had eight. Sophomore center Brandon Motzel (Carmel Catholic HS, Buffalo Grove, Ill.) led Augustana in rebounding with nine and Ryan hauled in seven. The Vikings won the rebounding battle 33-29.
 
Wheaton got 19 points from Peter Smith while Tyler Peters had 16 and Brayden Teuscher scored 11.
 
This was the ninth consecutive year that Augustana made the CCIW tournament, the only team in league history to make it every year since the tournament started in 2006.