Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana limited Millikin to 26 percent shooting and 39 points Saturday, defeating the Big Blue 75-39 in front of a big Senior Night crowd at Carver Center. The win bumped the Vikings' record to 17-4 on the year and 10-2 in the CCIW. Millikin dropped to 3-18 overall and 1-11 in the league. Coach Grey Giovanine's club now leads the conference by a game and a half following North Central's Saturday win at North Park. The Cardinals are Augustana's next opponent.
 
The hosts took a 2-0 lead on a Micah Martin (Iowa City HS, Iowa City, Iowa) dunk and never trailed in the contest. The Big Blue managed ties at 2-all and 4-all, but Jacob Johnston (Erie HS, Cordova, Ill.) scored eight straight points, including a pair of three-pointers, to put Augustana up 12-4.
 
The margin reached double digits (15-5) on a Brett Benning three-pointer at the 16:05 mark of the first half. After a Nic Uhlir (Linn-Mar HS, Marion, Iowa) three-pointer pushed the margin to 13 (26-13) with 8:32 to play before halftime,  Korbin Farmer had four points in a 7-0 Millikin run that cut it to 26-20 at the 6:41 mark. However, five different Vikings scored in a 16-2 spurt to close the half and Augustana led 42-22 at the break.
 
The Big Blue never got closer than 18 in the second half. The margin bounced between 18 and 22 points through the first 12 minutes of the period, before a pair of Chrishawn Orange (Jacobs HS, Algonquin, Ill.) free throws extended it to 24 (59-35) with 7:48 to play.
 
A Donovan Ferguson (Downers Grove South HS, Downers Grove, Ill.) dunk and back-to-back buckets by Lucas Simon (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.) made it 65-37 Vikings and prompted Giovanine to clear his bench with four and a half minutes remaining. Two Jake Nowak (Plainfield North HS, Plainfield, Ill.) layups pushed the lead to 31 (69-38) and the night's final points came on a dunk by Michael Hoekstra (Bishop McNamara HS, Saint Anne, Ill.), one of two senior players—along with Johnston—honored before the game.
 
Orange and Benning shared game-high scoring honors with a dozen each, while Johnston added 10. Martin had eight points and game highs of nine rebounds and four blocked shots. Nolan Ebel (Regis Jesuit HS, Denver, Colo.) chipped in with eight points and game highs of four assists and three steals. Jordan Cunningham was the only Big Blue in double digits, scoring 11.
 
Augustana hit 28 of 55 (.509) field goal attempts, including nine of 21 (.429) from beyond the arc, but were an uncharacteristic 10 of 18 (.556) from the free throw line. The Vikings limited Millikin to .260 (13-50) shooting from the floor and .154 (2-13) from three-point range. The Big Blue hit 11 of 18 (.611) free throws. The battle of the boards went to the hosts by a 44-30 margin and Augustana committed 13 turnovers to 17 for the visitors.
 
The Vikings host North Central on Wednesday, February 8 at 7:00 p.m. in the Vikings' regular season home finale at Carver Center.