MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Augustana relied on defense in the first half Tuesday and got its offense going in the second, hammering Rhodes 86-42 at the Rhodes Holiday Classic. The third-ranked Vikings improved

to 10-1 on the year, while the host Lynx dropped to 2-8.
 
Donovan Ferguson (Downers Grove South HS, Darien, Ill.) and Pierson Wofford (Springfield Lutheran HS, Springfield, Ill.) each scored six points as Augustana bolted to an 18-2 lead. Kevin Shen scored five points in a 9-6 Lynx run that cut the deficit to 13, but the Vikings answered with eight straight. A Micah Martin (Iowa City HS, Iowa City, Iowa) bucket with 2:57 left in the first half put the visitors up 32-11.
 
Joe Kellen's (Rockford Lutheran HS, Rockford, Ill.) conventional three-point play in the final minute gave Augustana its biggest lead of the half at 37-14 and that was the score as the teams went to the break.
 
The Vikings missed all nine of their three-point attempts and committed nine turnovers in the opening 20 minutes, but made up for it with a dominant performance on defense and the boards. They limited Rhodes to .192 (5-26) shooting from the field, including .077 (1-13) from beyond the arc and outrebounded the Lynx by a 33-8 margin. Big men Ferguson and Martin led Augustana with eight points each.
 
The second stanza was a different story. The Vikings torched the Mallory Gymnasium nets for the second day in a row, hitting 20 of 26 (.769) field goal attempts and six of seven (.857) from long range.
 
Brett Benning (Dakota HS, Davis, Ill.) hit Augustana's first three-pointer of the afternoon with 17:53 to play, completing a 12-2 run and pushing the margin to 30 (46-16). It ballooned over 40 (67-26) on a trey by Carson Frakes (Rockridge HS, Illinois City, Ill.) midway through the period.
 
Augustana led 72-29 when Coach Grey Giovanine finished clearing his bench with 8:13 to play and a layup by sophomore Jarrett Tribble (Homewood-Flossmoor HS, Homewood, Ill.) extended the advantage to 50 (86-36). Rhodes three-pointers by Shen and Jake Nestlehutt in the last minute accounted for the final.
 
All 15 Vikings scored in the contest. Martin led the way with 12 points and was joined in double figures by Wofford and Kellen with 11 and 10, respectively. Chrishawn Orange (Jacobs HS, Algonquin, Ill.) snared eight rebounds and shared assist honors with Kellen and Nolan Ebel (Regis Jesuit HS, Denver, Colo.). Each dished out three. Lucas Simon (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.) had two steals and junior Roman Youngblut (Assumption HS, Davenport, Iowa) blocked three shots in seven minutes on the floor.
 
Augustana finished the afternoon 36 of 61 (.590) from the floor, six of 16 (.375) from beyond the arc and eight of nine (.889) from the foul line. The Lynx shot .296 (16-54) from the field, .158 (3-19) from long range and .583 (7-12) at the charity stripe. The Vikings dominated the glass 48-17 and had 16 turnovers while forcing 12.
 
Giovanine's bunch is now idle until Saturday, December 29, when Washington University invades Carver Center for a 7:00 p.m. contest.