DECATUR, Ill. – Augustana shot .667 from the field in the first half Sunday, including .750 from three-point range, and rolled to an 83-58 win at Millikin at the Griswold Center. Coach Grey Giovanine's squad improved to 9-5 on the season and 3-2 in the CCIW, while the Big Blue fell to 4-11 overall and 1-5 in the league.
 
Zach Fisher answered Micah Martin's (Iowa City HS, Iowa City, Iowa) game-opening basket with a three-pointer to give Millikin its only lead of the game. After a Pierson Wofford (Springfield Lutheran HS, Springfield, Ill.) trey put Augustana back on top, a Fisher field goal forged the only tie (5-5) of the afternoon. When Lucas Simon (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.) knocked down a triple at the 17:28 mark of the first half,  the Vikings had the lead for good.
 
The hosts hung tight early and trailed just 20-18 after Corbin Farmer split two free throws with 10:21 left in the first half. However, Martin's two charity tosses 16 seconds later sparked a 23-6 Augustana run over the next nine minutes. Simon scored eight points in the spurt and dished out two assists—one that led to a Martin dunk and a lob that Donovan Ferguson (Downers Grove South HS, Darien, Ill.) slammed home. The Big Blue scored the last four points of the half to cut their deficit to 43-28 at intermission.
 
The Vikings connected on 14 of 21 shots from the field in the opening 20 minutes, including six of eight from beyond the arc, while limiting Millikin to .333 (11-33) shooting from the floor. Simon drilled all three of his tries from long range and finished the half with 11 points.
 
Giovanine's crew continued its red-hot shooting early in the second half, hitting seven of its first nine shots and extending its advantage to 57-34 with 15:30 to play.
 
The Big Blue went on a 9-0 run late in the game to trim the margin to 13 (71-58), but two Simon free throws and consecutive treys by Austin Elledge (Highland HS, Highland, Ill.) and Justin Bottorff (Quincy Notre Dame HS, Quincy, Ill.) pushed it back over 20. Two Jacob Pauley (Geneseo HS, Geneseo, Ill.) charity tosses and a Jacob Schwerbrock (Wethersfield HS, Kewanee, Ill.) layup accounted for the final.
 
Simon's career-high 17 points led Augustana. He also finished with five rebounds and four assists. Martin, Wofford and Elledge all chipped in with 14 points. Martin grabbed seven boards and Wofford six. Junior Jack Jelen (Bay HS, Bay Village, Ohio)—among the nation's leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio—handed out a career-high eight assists, while coughing it up just once.
 
The Fisher brothers, Calvin (16) and Zach (12), were the only Big Blue to reach double figures in scoring. Cole Laurence pulled down a game-high eight rebounds, including seven off the offensive glass.
 
The Vikings finished the contest—originally scheduled to be played on Saturday—29 of 53 (.547) from the field, nine of 20 (.450) from beyond the arc and 16 of 18 (.889) from the free throw line. They held Millikin to .292 (19-65) shooting from the floor and just .227 (5-22) from three-point range. The Big Blue hit 15 of 17 (.882) free throws, outrebounded Augustana 37-36 (with 21 offensive rebounds) and committed 13 turnovers to 15 for the Vikings.
 
Augustana will return to Carver Center for the first time in a month when the Vikings host  Wheaton in a key league tilt on Wednesday, January 15. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.