ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Seniors
Nolan Ebel (Regis Jesuit HS, Denver, Colo.) and
Chrishawn Orange (Jacobs HS, Algonquin, Ill.) combined for 45 points Saturday to lead Augustana to a 77-63 win over Washington University at Carver Center. The victory was the 400th for Coach
Grey Giovanine at the head of the Viking program. His third-
Senior Nolan Ebel scored a game-high 27
points Saturday, as Augustana defeated
Washington University 77-63 at Carver
Center.
ranked club improved to 11-1 on the season, while the visiting Bears dropped to 6-4.
There were seven lead changes in the first 12 minutes of the game. Washington's largest lead came at 18-15 after a Matt Nester three-pointer with 9:21 left in the first half, but
Pierson Wofford (Springfield Lutheran HS, Springfield, Ill.) scored off a feed from
Micah Martin (Iowa City HS, Iowa City, Iowa) and Orange hit a jumper in the lane to give Augustana a lead it wouldn't relinquish.
A Martin putback with 1:20 left in the half completed a 22-9 Viking run and gave them a 37-27 lead. A pair of
Brett Benning (Dakota HS, Davis, Ill.) free throws sent the teams to the locker room with the hosts on top 40-29.
Nester scored the first basket of the second half to trim the margin to nine, but Augustana answered with a
Donovan Ferguson (Downers Grove South HS, Darien, Ill.) free throw and a bucket each by Orange and Nolan and it wouldn't dip under double digits again.
Martin's basket with 9:45 to play finished off a 12-3 Viking spurt that gave Giovanine's crew its biggest lead of the night at 59-39. The Bears cut into the deficit, but were never able to get it under 12. Both coaches cleared their benches in the final two minutes.
Ebel finished with a game-high 27 points. He converted eight of 12 from the field, three of six from three-point range and eight of nine from the foul line. Orange's 18 points came just as efficiently, on six of nine from the floor, one of one from long range and five of five at the charity stripe. The duo combined for 27 of Augustana's 37 second-half points—18 of them by Ebel. Martin finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Wofford scored 11 and Ferguson grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.
The Vikings shot just .387 (24-62) on the night, but limited Washington to 21 of 54 (.389) field goals, including 2 of 14 (.143) from three-point range. Augustana was seven of 20 (.350) from beyond the arc and 22 of 32 (.688) from the free throw line, while the Bears hit 19 of 24 (.792) free throws. The Vikings dominated the boards to the tune of 46 to 32 and committed 13 turnovers to 11 for Washington.
On Wednesday, January 2, Giovanine's bunch moves back into CCIW play, hosting North Central at Carver Center with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
