Box Score

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Defense and rebounding have long been staples in Augustana head coach Grey Giovanine's program and both were on display in the Vikings 82-56 victory over 24^th ranked Illinois Wesleyan on Wednesday, February 11 in Bloomington, Illinois. Augustana, ranked 11^th in the latest NCAA Division III national poll, stopped the Titans offense cold, especially in the second half, and owned the back boards in the decisive victory.
 
The win tightened the CCIW race as the Vikings and Illinois Wesleyan are now dead-even with identical 9-3 league records with two games left to play. Elmhurst lurks in third with an 8-4 mark.
 
The night belonged to Giovanine's defensive-minded club as Augustana allowed the Titans just .340 shooting (18-53) from the floor). In the second half the stranglehold was even more evident as Illinois Wesleyan made just six of 26 shots for .231. And, the Vikings were there to clean up any misses as they held a commanding 44-30 advantage in the rebounding department.
 
The visitors trailed just once and that was at 3-2 with the game less than three minutes old. When junior Jawan Straughter (Plainfield East HS, Bolingbrook, Ill.) nailed a three-point field goal at 17:15 to make it 5-3 the Vikings were never headed.
 
The lead was quickly in double digits at 11 (16-5) with 13:24 to play in the first half when freshman Dylan Sortillo (Bettendorf HS, Bettendorf, Iowa) drained a three point field goal. With 2:40 left to play in the first stanza with was an 11 point game (41-30) after Hunter Hill (Byron HS, Byron, Ill.) made one of two free throws. Wesleyan did close out the half on a 5-1 run and at intermission Augustana led by seven (42-35).
 
When Ben Ryan (Washington HS, Washington, Ill.) scored at 18:07 the Vikings' lead went to 10 points (48-38) and never dipped below double digits for the rest of the game. The final margin of 26 points (82-56) was the largest of the game.
 
Augustana showed tremendous balance on offense as five players scored in double digits. Ryan led the way with 12 points while Hill, Straughter and junior Brandon Motzel (Carmel Catholic HS, Buffalo Grove, Ill.) all had 11. Senior Nic Hoepfner (United Township HS, East Moline, Ill.) dropped in 10 points. Between them, that group of five players combined to go 24-42 from the field and three of six from three-point range. They also grabbed 24 of the Vikings' 44 rebounds.
 
In addition to the five players in double digits, junior Tayvian Johnson (United Township HS, East Moline, Ill.) and senior Danielius Jurgutis (Downers Grove South HS, Darien, Ill.) each had eight points. Junior Griffin Pils (Libertyville HS, Libertyville, Ill.) scored five points but hauled in eight rebounds and had a team high four assists.
 
Illinois Wesleyan only managed to land one player in double figures and that was Alec Bausch with 10 points.
 
This was the second victory for the Vikings over the Titans in their last three trips to the Shirk Center. Augustana also defeated Illinois Wesleyan in the CCIW tournament on the same floor at the end of the 2012-13 campaign.
 
Augustana is now 19-4 overall and 9-3 in the CCIW while Illinois Wesleyan drops to 17-6 and 9-3. The Vikings will host Millikin on Saturday, February 14 at 7:00 p.m. in a Senior Night game in the Carver Center.