Box Score

ELMHURST, Ill. – Augustana maintained its half-game lead in the CCIW race Wednesday, downing Elmhurst 85-69 at Faganel Hall. The 20th-ranked Vikings improved to 13-3 overall and 6-1 in the league, while the host Bluejays fell to 5-11 on the year and 1-6 in the conference.
 
The backcourt threesome of junior Dylan Sortillo (Bettendorf HS, Bettendorf, Iowa) and sophomores Chrishawn Orange (Jacobs HS, Algonquin, Ill.) and Nolan Ebel (Regis Jesuit HS, Denver, Colo.) set the pace in a game which Augustana led for the final 37 minutes. The trio combined for 53 points, nine assists and just two turnovers, while hitting 21 of 32 field goal attempts, including eight of 11 from beyond the arc.
 
After Elmhurst took 2-0 and 5-2 leads, Sortillo and Ebel answered with a field goal and a three-pointer, respectively, to tie it each time. A three-pointer from Orange just inside the 17-minute mark of the first half put the Vikings ahead for good.
 
A Micah Martin (Iowa City HS, Iowa City, Iowa) layup capped an 11-2 run that pushed the Augustana lead to double digits for the first time at 21-10 with 10:19 to play before halftime. A pair of Marquis Carter three-pointers keyed a 15-9 Bluejay response that trimmed the deficit 30-25, but Sortillo scored 11 straight points, including three treys, in a 17-4 Viking run to close the half. The visitors took a 47-29 lead to the locker room.
 
The margin grew steadily through the first 10 minutes of the second half, eventually reaching 26 (75-49) on a Jacob Johnston (Erie HS, Cordova, Ill.) bucket with 9:07 to play. Brian Kern scored seven points in the final nine minutes to help Elmhurst cut the final margin to 16.
 
Sortillo equaled a career high with 24 points, 19 of which came in the first half. He connected on nine of 14 from the field, five of seven from three-point range and his only free throw attempt. He added four rebounds, four assists and a block shot with just one turnover in 30 minutes of action. Orange tallied 19 on nine-of-13 shooting from the field and shared game-high honors with a pair of steals. Ebel finished with 10 points, a game-high five assists and a single turnover in 28 minutes. He was three of five from the floor and hit both of his three-point attempts and both of his free throw tries.
 
Martin (four points) and Johnston (eight points) each blocked four shots and grabbed five rebounds. Off the bench, sophomore Pierson Wofford (Springfield Lutheran HS, Springfield, Ill.) contributed 12 points, four rebounds and two steals and junior A.J. Dollmeyer (Polo HS, Polo, Ill.) six points (3-3 from the field) and five rebounds.
 
For the game, the Vikings hit 35 of 63 (.556) field goal attempts—including eight of 13 (.615) from long range—and seven of 11 (.636) from the foul line. Elmhurst shot .550 (11-20) from beyond the arc, but just .275 (14-51) from two-point range to finish 25 of 71 (.352) for the game. The Bluejays were eight of nine (.889) at the free throw line and won the battle of the boards 43 to 34, but committed 14 turnovers to just eight for Augustana.
 
Coach Grey Giovanine's team will wrap up the first half of the conference schedule on Saturday, January 21. The Vikings travel to Decatur, Illinois to face Millikin, with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m.