BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Augustana rode a strong second-half performance to a 78-64 win over Illinois Wesleyan Saturday at the Shirk Center. The Vikings won for the eighth time in the last nine games to improve to 16-6 overall and 10-3 in the CCIW. The Titans dropped to 14-7 on the season and 8-4 in the league. The victory by Coach Grey Giovanine's club sets up a showdown with first-place North Central (17-4, 10-2) on Wednesday, February 12 at Carver Center.
 
Leading just 41-39 at the half, Augustana got three-pointers by Pierson Wofford (Springfield Lutheran HS, Springfield, Ill.) and Lucas Simon (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.) sandwiched around two Micah Martin (Iowa City HS, Iowa City, Iowa) layups in the first two minutes of the second half, extending its advantage to 51-41. IWU would get no closer than eight points the rest of the night.
 
The Titans trailed 55-47 after a Doug Wallen free throw with 10:26 to play, but an Austin Elledge (Highland HS, Highland, Ill.) three-pointer sparked a 12-5 Viking run over the next four minutes. Luke Johnson's (Longmont HS, Longmont, Colo.) trey at the 6:37 mark put Augustana up 67-52, its largest lead to that point.
 
IWU made one final push, cutting the deficit to 68-60 on a Matthew Leritz free throw with 4:10 to play and then getting the ball back after a Viking turnover. However, Martin rejected a Leritz layup and consecutive fade away jumpers by Wofford extended the margin back to double digits for good. Two Wofford free throws with 57 seconds remaining gave Augustana its largest lead of the night (78-62) before a layup by Titan Keondre Schumacher accounted for the final.
 
There were five ties and three lead changes in the game's first six minutes. A Justin Bottorff (Quincy Notre Dame HS, Quincy, Ill.) three-pointer at 13:32 of the first half put the Vikings on top 15-12 and they would trail just once more. IWU forged seven more ties, but couldn't regain the lead until a Cory Noe free throw 1:13 before halftime gave the Titans a 39-38 edge. Elledge answered with a jumper on the next possession though and a Matt Hanushewsky (Hersey HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) free throw sent Augustana to the locker room leading 41-39.
 
Wofford scored 14 of his game-high 21 points in the second half. He also grabbed seven rebounds and led the Vikings with four assists. Elledge added 15 points and Martin 11, along with game highs of nine rebounds, four blocked shots and three steals. Hanushewsky also had three steals.
 
Luke Yoder led IWU with 15 points, six assists and three steals. Wallen and Peter Lambesis added 10 points each.
 
Augustana shot .481 from the field on 26 of 54. The Vikings were 10 of 20 (.500) from three-point range and converted 16 of 22 (.727) free throws. They limited the Titans to .393 (22-56) shooting from the floor, including .318 (7-22) in the second half. IWU hit just two of 18 (.111) from long range and was 18 of 27 (.667) from the foul line. Augustana controlled the boards by a 41-31 count, while committing 19 turnovers to the Titans' 14.