Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan used a .583 shooting night from the field Wednesday to hand Augustana its first loss in CCIW play, defeating the top-ranked Vikings 89-84 at Carver Center. The Titans improve to 13-4 on the season, while Augustana lost for just the second time in 17 outings. The teams are now tied atop the CCIW standings at 5-1.
 
A Tayvian Johnson (United Township HS, East Moline, Ill.) steal led to a Jawan Straughter (Plainfield East HS, Bolingbrook, Ill.) layup that gave Augustana a 14-10 lead at the 15:49 mark of the first half. Illinois Wesleyan responded with a 13-0 run which included nine straight points from Pat Sodemann on two three-point field goals and a conventional three-point play. The Vikings would be playing catchup for the rest of the night.
 
The Titan lead eventually reached 32-20 when Jordan Nelson converted all three free throws after being fouled behind the arc. Hunter Hill (Byron HS, Byron, Ill.) answered with a three-pointer, Danielius Jurgutis (Downers Grove South HS, Darien, Ill.) added an old-fashioned three-point play and Nic Hoepfner (United Township HS, East Moline, Ill.) scored in the lane as Augustana cut it to 32-28. After Ryan Coyle scored for IWU, Mark Roth (Washington HS, Metamora, Ill.) hit a three from the right corner off an inbounds play and the Vikings were within three. However, the Titans built the lead back to nine over the next two minutes. A long Jurgutis trey with 1:34 left in the half cut the deficit to 44-42, but IWU scored the final two baskets of the half and took a 48-42 lead to the locker room.
 
The visitors continued to shoot it well after the break. Their lead bounced between three and eight points through the first seven minutes of the second half. An Alec Bausch bucket with 12:44 to play put the Titans up 61-53 before the Vikings made their most serious push of the night.
 
Griffin Pils (Libertyville HS, Libertyville, Ill.) drained a three-pointer and Hoepfner totaled three points on Augustana's next two possessions. Pils added a traditional three-point play at the 9:46 mark to get his team within 63-62. On the ensuing possession, Brandon Motzel (Carmel HS, Buffalo Grove, Ill.) blocked a shot by Coyle and Hill tracked it down and went the length of the floor for a layup to put the Vikings ahead (64-63) for the first time since early in the first half.
 
After a Dylan Overstreet jumper gave the Titans back the lead, Ben Ryan (Washington HS, Washington, Ill.) split a pair of free throws to forge one final tie. However, Bryce Dolan answered with a three-pointer at the 7:54 mark and IWU would lead the rest of way. A Ryan three-pointer cut the deficit to 72-70 with five minutes to play, but the Titans ran off seven straight points and made enough free throws down the stretch to ice the game.
 
Each team put four players in double figures. Hill and Ryan each scored 19 for Augustana. Pils added 15 in just 12 minutes of action and Hoepfner added 10. IWU got a game-high 20 from Sodemann. Nelson added 19, Mike Marietti 16 and Dylan Overstreet a dozen.
 
Augustana shot .500 from the field (30 of 60) and three-point line (seven of 14) and 17 of 26 (.654) from the foul line. The Titans finished the night 28 of 48 from the field, including eight of 13 (.615) from beyond the arc and 25 of 32 (.781) from the free throw line. The Vikings won the battle of the boards by a slight 30-28 margin and committed just seven turnovers. IWU coughed it up just nine times.
 
Augustana hits the road on Saturday, traveling to Decatur, Illinois to face a Millikin team that beat Wheaton 86-46 win at home Wednesday. Tipoff for Saturday's game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.