Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Senior Hunter Hill (Byron HS, Byron, Ill.) scored 23 points and junior Jacob Johnston (Erie HS, Cordova, Ill.) added 15 off the bench Friday as top-ranked Augustana opened the 2015-16 season with a workmanlike 88-60 win over Wisconsin-La Crosse at Carver Center. The Vikings won't play again until they face Fontbonne in St. Louis, Missouri on Tuesday, November 24.
 
Augustana took control early and the outcome was never really in doubt. The visitors took their only lead of the night at 3-2 on Jared Staege's three-pointer at 18:44 of the first half. Senior Griffin Pils (Libertyville HS, Libertyville, Ill.) answered with a trey from the right wing at the 18-minute mark and the Vikings wouldn't trail again.
 
The lead reached double digits (23-13) on a Tayvian Johnson (United Township HS, East Moline, Ill.) put-back just before the midway mark of the opening stanza.
 
Hill was quiet early, taking just one shot from the field in the first 15 minutes, but Johnston made his presence felt immediately upon entering three and a half minutes in. He scored twice in the low post, once on a baseline drive, drilled a pair of free throws and knocked down a three-pointer for 11 points in his first seven minutes on the floor. Hill dropped in a pair of threes in the final five minutes. Neither he nor Johnston missed a shot in the period, scoring 10 and 11 points, respectively as Augustana took a 48-30 lead to the locker room.
 
Hill's jumper with 15:36 to play pushed the lead to 27 (61-34) before the Eagles went on an 11-4 run to trim the deficit to 20. However, four free throws by Hill and one by freshman Chrishawn Orange (Jacobs HS, Algonquin, Ill.) put the Vikings back up 70-45.
 
Coach Grey Giovanine went deep on his bench as Augustana maintained the large advantage. Michael Hoekstra's (Bishop McNamara HS, Saint Anne, Ill.) free throw with 54 seconds left accounted for the final and marked the hosts' biggest lead of the night.
 
Senior Ben Ryan (Washington HS, Washington, Ill.) joined Hill and Johnston in double figures with a dozen. He also grabbed a game-high six rebounds, as the Vikings controlled the boards by a 35-17 margin. Junior Brandon Motzel (Carmel HS, Buffalo Grove, Ill.) had nine points and five boards in 12 minutes off the bench. Hoekstra had five and five, respectively, in 11 minutes and despite going scoreless, senior Jawan Straughter (Plainfield East HS, Bolingbrook, Ill.) had game highs of four assists and three steals, along with five rebounds. Augustana shot .587 from the field on 27 of 46, including eight of 19 (.421) from beyond the arc. Giovanine's crew also converted 26 of 36 (.722) free throw attempts.
 
Staege led La Crosse with 17. Austin Fritz added 12 and Lucas Collom 10. The Eagles finished 19 of 43 (.442) from the field, six of 16 (.375) from three and 16 of 23 (.696) from the line.