BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Augustana recovered from a slow start Saturday, outscoring Illinois Wesleyan 77-48 over the final 30 minutes of the game to post an 87-65 win at the Shirk Center. With their 15th straight victory, the second-ranked Vikings moved to 17-1 overall and 9-0 in the CCIW. The Titans dropped to 11-7 on the year and 4-5 in the league.

 

Brady Rose scored six points as IWU jumped in front 17-8 after 8½ minutes. Brett Benning's (Dakota HS, Davis, Ill.) field goal at the midway point of the half—just the third of the game for Augustana—started a 10-0 Viking run capped by a Chrishawn Orange (Jacobs HS, Algonquin, Ill.) layup that gave the visitors their first lead (18-17) of the night.
 
There would be four lead changes and a pair of ties over the next  3½ minutes and although it remained a one-possession game for the rest of the half, Benning's three-pointer at the 4:12 mark put the Vikings on top 28-27 and they wouldn't trail again. Nolan Ebel (Regis Jesuit HS, Denver, Colo.) eventually hit two free throws with 27 seconds left to give Augustana a 38-35 lead at intermission, equaling its biggest of the period.
 
Twice early in the second half, on three-pointers by Pierson Wofford (Springfield Lutheran HS, Springfield, Ill.) and Benning, the Vikings extended their advantage to six points. However, each time the Titans answered with a conventional three-point play—the first by Rose and the second by Charlie Bair. Bair added a three-point field goal with 16:08 to play to pull IWU even at 46-all.
 
A Jack Jelen (Bay HS, Bay Village, Ohio) trey from the right wing with 15:16 remaining ignited a 26-4 Augustana run over 7½ minutes that essentially decided things. Ebel hit back-to-back three-pointers to push the margin to 59-46 and when Wofford dropped in two free throws with 7:52 left, the Vikings led 72-50.
 
The Titans would get no closer than 20 points the rest of the way, as the margin grew to as much as 26 (77-51) on an Orange bucket with 5:44 to play and again (79-53) on two Ebel free throws at 5:07. Both coaches went deep on their benches in the final minute and a half.
 
Ebel, who hit all three of his trey attempts and all eight of his free throws, led four Vikings in double figures with 23 points. Benning and Orange added 16 apiece and Wofford 11. Wofford and Benning led the way on the boards with seven each, while Orange grabbed six, to go along with a game-high six assists. Ebel and Benning each dished out four helpers and junior Donovan Ferguson (Downers Grove South HS, Downers Grove, Ill.) blocked four shots.
 
Rose finished with a game-high 26, 18 of which came in the first half.
 
Augustana put up gaudy shooting statistics of .580 (29-50) from the field, .692 (9-13) from three-point range and .909 (20-22) from the free throw line. The Vikings hit seven of eight (.875) from beyond the arc in the second half. They limited Illinois Wesleyan to .339 (20-59) shooting from the floor, including just eight of 31 (.258) in the second half. The Titans finished seven of 23 (.304) from long range and converted 18 of 28 (.643) free throws. Coach Grey Giovanine's bunch controlled the boards by a 43-25 margin to help offset a 16-10 disadvantage in turnovers.
 
Augustana is back at Carver Center on Wednesday, January 23, hosting Elmhurst with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m.