Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana tightened things up defensively in the second half Wednesday and rode the offense of Dylan Sortillo (Bettendorf HS, Bettendorf, Iowa) and Brett Benning (Dakota HS, Davis, Ill.) to a 77-64 win over Wisconsin-Oshkosh at Carver Center. Coach Grey Giovanine's 17th-ranked club improved to 5-1 on the year, while the visiting Titans fell to 2-3.
 
Oshkosh shot a blistering .667 (12-18) from the field in the first half, while the Vikings lit it up to the tune of .607 (17-28) from the floor. The hosts led 38-35 at the half due in large part to nine steals, including three each by sophomores Chrishawn Orange (Jacobs HS, Algonquin, Ill.) and Nolan Ebel (Regis Jesuit HS, Englewood, Colo.).
 
Both teams cooled off considerable after halftime. After briefly extending the lead to six points (43-37) on a Jacob Johnston (Erie HS, Cordova, Ill.) layup with 18:34 to play, Augustana scored just four points over the next eight minutes, while the Titans tallied 13. A Charlie Noone three-pointer with 12:20 left put OWU up 50-47. Brett Wittchow had a chance to extend the Titan lead further, but missed a pair of trey attempts.
 
Benning answered with a game-tying three off a kickout from Johnston at the 10:34 mark. After two Johnson free throws put the Vikings up by two, a conventional three-point play by Wittchow gave Oshkosh one final lead at 53-52 with 8:49 remaining.
 
Sortillo and Benning responded by fueling a 21-7 Augustana run over the next six and a half minutes that blew the game open. Sortillo scored eight on three field goals and a pair of freebies and Benning matched that total with two more three-pointers and a bucket in the lane. Each coach cleared his bench in the final minute.
 
Johnston won the opening tip and scored on the game's first possession, dunking in a lob pass from Orange. Witcchow hit a two and a three to put the Titans up and they would lead for the better part of the next ten minutes. A Sortillo jumper with 9:16 left in the half snapped the fifth tie of the game and the hosts would lead for the rest of the half.
 
Augustana limited Oshkosh to .364 (12-33) shooting from the floor after intermission, including just two of 13 (.154) from beyond the arc. For the game, the Vikings connected on .549 (28-51) from the field, .462 (6-13) from three-point range and continued their tremendous free throw shooting, going 15 of 18 (.833) from the line. UWO finished 24 of 51 (.471) from the floor, five of 18 (.278) from deep and 11 of 12 (.917) at the line. Augustana won the battle of the boards by a 27-25 margin and committed 15 turnovers to 19 for the Titans.
 
Individually, Sortillo scored a career-high 20 on eight of 13 shooting, including two of four from long range. Benning (4-6 three-pointers) and Johnston each added 14 and Pierson Wofford (Springfield Lutheran HS, Springfield, Ill.) 10. Johnston also had game highs of seven rebounds and three blocked shots and Ebel contributed eight points and game highs of five assists and three steals.
 
Wittchow and Noone led Oshkosh with 20 each. Ben Boots, who came in averaging 21.3 points, was held to just two.
 
Augustana opens CCIW play on Saturday, December 3, hosting undefeated North Park (4-0) with tipoff at Carver Center scheduled for 7:00 p.m.