Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Hunter Hill (Byron HS, Byron, Ill.) scored 24 points in the final 10:14 of the game Friday as Augustana advanced to the CCIW Tournament title game with an 82-76 semifinal win over North Central at Carver Center. Coach Grey Giovanine's 8th-ranked squad improved to 22-4 on the year, while the Cardinals fell to 18-8. The Vikings will take on Illinois Wesleyan for the tournament championship on Saturday, February 28 at 7:00 p.m. also at Carver Center.
 
Junior Jawan Straughter (Plainfield East HS, Bolingbrook, Ill.) broke the game's last tie with a pair of free throws with 11 minutes left, putting Augustana up 41-39. Hill followed with his first field goal of the night at the 10:14 mark and the rest of the way, the 5' 9" junior added seven field goals in as many attempts, including two three-pointers, and six of seven free throws. He finished the night with 27 points and game highs of seven rebounds and three assists. He didn't commit a turnover in 37 minutes on the floor.
 
It was Straughter that sparked the Vikings early, scoring nine points as the hosts jumped out in front 17-10. Junior Tayvian Johnson (United Township HS, East Moline, Ill.) also hit a pair of jumpers, including one from beyond the arc, in the Vikings' hot start. The offensive pace slowed down after that, though and North Central battled its way back into the game. Jayme Moten's third three-pointer of the half got the Cardinals to within 17-15.
 
Augustana maintained the lead through the rest of the half, although it was never more than four points. The Vikings took a 27-26 lead into the locker room at the break.
 
Another Johnson triple put Augustana up 30-26 early in the second half, but Charles Rosenberg answered with a couple of baskets and Moten dropped another trey to give the Cardinals their first lead of the night at 33-30. A Nic Hoepfner (United Township HS, East Moline, Ill.) bucket got the hosts within a point and freshman Dylan Sortillo (Bettendorf HS, Bettendorf, Iowa) drained one from behind the arc to regain a 35-33 lead. North Central would forge ties at 35-all, 37-all and 39-all, but Straughter's free throws put the Vikings up for good and they pulled away behind Hill's big finish.
 
Hill's three with 7:10 to play pushed the margin to double digits (57-47) for the first time. The advantage was still 10 with 42 seconds to play before Moten buried his seventh and eighth three-pointers of the night. His two freebies with 14 seconds left got the Cardinals within four, but Hill sank two of his own with nine ticks on the clock to seal the win.

Straughter and Hoepfner each added 13 points and Johnson had 10 to go with a game-high three steals. Augustana shot .531 (26-49) from the field for the game, including .667 (16 of 24) in the second half. The Vikings were seven of 16 (.438) from beyond the arc and a perfect four-for-four after halftime. They finished 23 of 30 (.767) from the line. Moten scored a game-high 28 and hit eight of 12 three attempts. Rosenberg added 17. The Cardinals were 27 of 49 (.551) from the floor, 11 of 18 (.611) from long range and 11 of 15 (.733) from the foul line. The teams were even on the boards at 26 and the Vikings committed just six turnovers to 12 for the visitors.