Box Score

ALMA, Mich. – Augustana snapped Alma's 17-game home court winning streak Friday night, downing the 14th-ranked Scots 89-77 at Art Smith Arena. Coach Grey Giovanine's 18th-ranked Vikings improved to 2-0 on the season, while Alma fell to 1-1.
 
Behind 12 points and eight rebounds by senior Jacob Johnston (Erie HS, Cordova, Ill.), Augustana built a substantial first-half lead which reached as much as 11 points on three occasions. A steal and layup by freshman Lucas Simon (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.) put the Vikings up 23-12 at the 9:30 mark and they used baskets  by junior Dylan Sortillo (Bettendorf HS, Bettendorf, Iowa) and freshman Donovan Ferguson (Downers Grove South HS, Darien, Ill.) to match that advantage twice more. Alma used an early parade to the free throw line to stay within striking distance, though.
 
The Viking lead was still 10 (33-23) after a pair of Pierson Wofford (Springfield Lutheran HS, Springfield, Ill.) free throws with 3:56 left in the period. However, the Scots responded with a 12-0 run and took their first lead, 35-33, on a Ryan Stevens layup at the 1:34 mark. Augustana answered with two Johnston put-backs and a Sortillo three-pointer to lead 40-36 at intermission.
 
Two Trevor Gernaat three-pointers early in the second half gave Alma a 44-42 lead, but Johnston's conventional three-point play put the Vikings back in front 45-44 with 18:13 to play and they wouldn't trail again.
 
The foul situation turned early in the second half as well, with the Scots picking up seven fouls and putting Augustana in the bonus with just 4½ minutes gone in the period. Two Johnston free throws at 15:39 gave the visitors a 50-44 lead, but two more Gernaat treys tied it. Wofford answered with a layup before a Stevens jumper pulled Alma even one final time at 52-all.
 
The Vikings responded by making eight of their next nine shots from the field—including two deuces and a trey by sophomore Nolan Ebel (Regis Jesuit HS, Englewood, Colo.)—to go up 71-60 with 7:43 to play. Augustana then converted 10 of 12 free throws in the final five minutes to keep the Scots at bay.
 
After shooting .436 from the floor and putting Alma at the line 17 times in the first half, the Vikings connected on 16 of 25 (.640) field goal attempts in the second half and shot 19 free throws, making 15. For the game, they shot .516 (33-64) from the field, .267 (4-15) from beyond the arc and .731 (19-26) from the foul line. Giovanine's club also had a 30-29 edge on the glass and committed 12 turnovers to 24 for the hosts.
 
Johnston led Augustana with 21 points (8-11 from the floor) and nine rebounds before fouling out with 5:39 remaining. Wofford added 14 points on six-of-nine shooting and Sortillo and sophomore Chrishawn Orange (Jacobs HS, Algonquin, Ill.) were in double figures as well, with 13 and 11 points, respectively.
 
Gernaat led the Scots—who shot .568 (25-44) from the field and .588 (10-17) from three-point range—with 33 points. He knocked down 10 of 13 from the field, including six of eight from long range.
 
The Vikings are back in action on Saturday, November 19, taking on Calvin at Van Noord Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan with tipoff scheduled for 2:00 p.m. CST.