JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – Senior guards Nolan Ebel (Regis Jesuit HS, Denver, Colo.) and Chrishawn Orange (Jacobs HS, Algonquin, Ill.) combined for 41 points Wednesday

to lead Augustana to a 78-54 win over MacMurray at Bill Wall Gymnasium. The third-ranked Vikings improved to 6-1 on the year, while the Highlanders dropped to 3-3.
 
Orange scored eight and Ebel seven as the guests jumped in front 17-3 in the first eight and a half minutes. A Blake Drue three-pointer got the lid off for MacMurray and the Highlanders eventually pulled to within 26-19 on a Connor Vincent layup with 7:06 left in the half.
 
Orange scored four straight to push the margin back to double digits, but a pair of Wade Fox free throws at the 5:02 mark again got the hosts within seven at 30-23. Ebel answered with a three-pointer and a layup and then fed Micah Martin (Iowa City HS, Iowa City, Iowa) for a dunk, but MacMurray responded again and Vincent's three-pointer just before the halftime horn drew his team to within 37-28 at the break.
 
Ebel and Orange each scored a dozen in the opening 20 minutes.
 
Ebel opened the second half with a three-pointer and Augustana's lead wouldn't dip below double digits the rest of the way. The margin swelled over 20 (55-34) on a Donovan Ferguson (Downers Grove South HS, Darien, Ill.) layup with 12:45 to play. Ebel wrapped up his night's scoring with a three-pointer at the 11:49 mark and Orange scored his final points on a layup that made it 62-37 with 10:28 left.
 
The advantage reached 30 (74-44) on a pair of Austin Elledge (Highland HS, Highland, Ill.) free throws with 4:33 to play before the Vikings settled for the final 24-point margin.
 
Ebel finished with 21 points on eight of 11 from the field and five of six from beyond the arc and added two assists with no turnovers. Orange converted seven of 11 from the floor, one of two three-pointers and five of seven at the free throw line for 20 points, to go along with three rebounds and three assists. Junior Lucas Simon (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.) was the only other Viking in double figures, finishing with 10 points and six rebounds. Pierson Wofford (Springfield Lutheran HS, Springfield, Ill.) led the way on the boards with a game-high 11 and Martin snared eight. Ferguson had five rebounds and four blocked shots in just 12 minutes of action and Brett Benning (Dakota HS, Davis, Ill.) contributed four steals.
 
For the game, Augustana shot .458 (27-59) from the field, .421 (8-19) from long range and .667 (16-24) at the foul line. They dominated on the glass by a margin of 45-26, but committed 21 turnovers. MacMurray, which was led by Vincent's 14 points, finished 19 of 52 (.365) from the floor, five of 11 (.455) from three-point range and 11 of 13 (.846) at the charity stripe. The Highlanders turned it over 22 times.
 
Coach Grey Giovanine's bunch is back at Carver Center on Saturday, December 8 for its second Top-10 showdown in a span of 11 days. Eighth-ranked Illinois Wesleyan comes calling for a 7:00 p.m. tipoff.