Box Score
WHITEWATER, Wis. – Wisconsin-Whitewater went on a 22-4 run midway through the second half to break open a tie game and went on to defeat Augustana 87-68 in the second round of the NCAA tournament Saturday. The Vikings' season ends at 20-8, while the third-ranked Warhawks improve to 25-4 and advance to the round of 16.
 
Ben Ryan's (Washington HS, Washington, Ill.) layup off a Tayvian Johnson (United Township HS, East Moline, Ill.) assist on the game's opening possession gave the Vikings their only lead of the night. Alex Merg answered with a three-pointer and Whitewater wouldn't trail again.
 
Only once in the first half did the margin exceed five points, however. After UWW took a 34-27 lead with 4:44 left before halftime, sophomore Hunter Hill (Byron HS, Byron, Ill.) answered with a three-pointer to cut the deficit to four points. A layup by Warhawk Cody Odegaard with five seconds left sent the teams to the locker room with the hosts leading 44-39.
 
Whitewater shot .548 from the floor and outrebounded the Vikings 20-11 in the first half. Augustana countered with .484 field goal shooting and committed just three turnovers to stay close in the opening 20 minutes.
 
Augustana forged a pair of ties in the second half. Trailing 46-44, Hill scored in the lane to tie the game and was fouled. With a chance to give the Vikings their first lead since a minute into the game, Hill's free throw rimmed out. UWW's Reggie Hearn and Kevin Schlitter (Maine South HS, Park Ridge, Ill.) traded baskets and the contest was tied 48-48 with just over 16 minutes remaining.
 
The visitors still trailed by just a bucket, 52-50, after a turn-around jumper by freshman Michael Hoekstra (Bishop McNamara HS, St. Anne, Ill.) with 14:42 left, but Quardell Evans buried a trey to spark an 18-2 spurt over the next five and a half minutes. K.J. Evans' transition dunk put Whitewater up 70-52 with nine minutes left. Augustana would get no closer than 14 points the rest of the way.
 
Hill scored 13 of his team-high 18 points in the first half. Junior guard Danielius Jurgutis (Downers Grove South HS, Darien, Ill.), who recently returned from a foot injury that cost him six games, gave the Vikings a big lift off the bench for the second straight game. He finished right behind Hill with 16 points. They were the only Vikings in double figures. Schlitter and Ryan led Augustana on the glass with seven and five rebounds, respectively, but the Warhawks held a sizeable 38-24 margin on the boards. Junior guard Mark Roth (Washington HS, Metamora, Ill.), who played the last two nights in a mask protecting a broken nose, had a team-high three assists. Coach Grey Giovanine's squad was without the services of junior Nic Hoepfner (United Township HS, East Moline, Ill.) and sophomore Griffin Pils (Libertyville HS, Libertyville, Ill.), who were both sidelined with ankle injuries.
 
Whitewater shot .564 from the field, including five of 13 three attempts (.385), and .800 from the free throw line. The Warhawks were led by Evans' 25 points and had four more players in double figures as well.
 
This was Augustana's 13th NCAA Division III tournament appearance and the fifth in the last nine years. The Viking program is now 27-14 all-time in Division III tournament play.