Box Score

NAPERVILLE, Ill. – With the exception of a 2-2 tie, Augustana led the entire way Wednesday, as it resumed CCIW play with an 82-71 win at North Central. Coach Grey Giovanine's squad won its third straight to improve to 10-3 on the year and now sits in a two-way tie with Carthage atop the league standings at 3-1. The host Cardinals dropped to 8-5 overall and 2-2 in the conference.
 
After trailing by as many as 11 in the first half, North Central trimmed the deficit to 52-49 on a Jagger Anderson free throw with 14:28 to play, but the Vikings responded with a Micah Martin (Iowa City HS, Iowa City, Iowa) basket, a three-pointer by Pierson Wofford (Springfield Lutheran HS, Springfield, Ill.) and a hoop by Brett Benning (Dakota HS, Davis, Ill.) to extend the lead back to double digits at 59-49 with 12:47 left. It never dropped below six points the rest of the way.
 
Jacob Johnston (Erie HS, Cordova, Ill.) scored eight points in a four-minute span down the stretch and Chrishawn Orange (Jacobs HS, Algonquin, Ill.) drained six straight free throws in the final 1:14 as Augustana maintained a double-digit lead.
 
Dylan Sortillo (Bettendorf HS, Bettendorf, Iowa) and Anderson traded baskets in the first two minutes of the game before Nolan Ebel (Regis Jesuit HS, Denver, Colo.) hit a three-pointer to give the visitors a lead they would never relinquish.
 
Ebel scored eight of the Vikings' first dozen points as they jumped in front 12-4 and the advantage reached double digits for the first time (23-12) on an Orange layup 9:37 before halftime. A 7-0 Cardinal run got them as close as 32-29 at the 4:06 mark and Augustana eventually took a 42-37 lead to the halftime break.
 
An Aiden Chang basket on the opening possession of the second half cut the lead to three, but a pair of Sortillo treys and a Johnston layup pushed the margin back to 50-41. Anderson's free throw at the 14:28 mark capped an 8-2 North Central run before the Vikings answered with their closing push.
 
Orange and Ebel combined to knock down 18 of 19 free throws and led Augustana with 17 and 16 points, respectively. They each had two steals and Ebel's four assists were a game high. Sortillo added a dozen points and Johnston 11. Wofford contributed 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench. Erwin Henry and Alex Sorenson led the Cardinals with 13 points and seven rebounds, respectively.
 
Augustana finished the night 26 of 61 (.426) from the field, six of 17 (.353) from three-point range and 24 of 31 (.774) from the free throw line. North Central won the battle of the boards by a slim 37-36 margin, but committed 13 turnovers to just eight for the Vikings. The Cardinals shot .431 (25-58) from the floor, .286 (4-14) from long range and .708 (17-24) from the foul line.
 
After an open date this Saturday, Augustana will be back in action against Illinois Wesleyan at Carver Center on Wednesday, January 11. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.