DECATUR, Ill.—Millikin trimmed a double-digit deficit to two points with five minutes remaining Saturday, but Augustana held off the Big Blue with a nine-of-10 performance at the free throw line over the game's final 3½ minutes, pulling away to a 79-66 win at the Griswold Center. Coach Steve Schafer's club won its third in a row to improve to 3-2 on the season and in the CCIW. The hosts dropped to 0-5 overall and in the conference.
 
With 5:04 to play Jake Hampton dropped in a pair of free throws to finish off a 12-2 Millikin run that pulled the Big Blue to within 62-60. However, Justin Bottorff (Quincy Notre Dame HS, Quincy, Ill.) answered with a layup and after Millikin missed two three-point tries, a Luke Johnson (Longmont HS, Longmont, Colo.) offensive rebound led to a Daniel Carr (Regis Jesuit HS, Highlands Ranch, Colo.) bucket that put Augustana up 66-60 with 3:42 left.
 
The Vikings continued to string together stops and Carr and Johnson each converted two charity tosses to extend the margin back to double digits at 70-60. After a steal by Carr, Johnson drove the left side of the lane to drop in a layup that completed a 10-0 run and put the visitors up 72-60. Carr added a conventional three-point play and four more free throws in the final 1:07 as Augustana pulled away.
 
The Big Blue scored the game's first four points and led until Carr's three-pointer at 16:46 of the first half tied it at six. Cole Laurence scored to give Millikin its final lead, but freshman Tyler Knuth (Guilford HS, Rockford, Ill.) countered with a trey that sparked a 17-0 Viking run. Bottorff dropped in a pair of three-pointers and Carr three conventional field goals in the spree that ended with the visitors on top 23-8.
 
Each team strung together an 8-0 run in the final 9½ minutes of the half and Augustana took a 40-28 lead to the locker room at intermission.
 
The margin bounced between eight and 14 points in the second half before Michael Akinwumi's dunk with eight minutes left ignited the Big Blue's rally.
 
Carr finished with game highs of 22 points and 13 rebounds. He converted six of seven field goal attempts and all nine of his free throw tries. Bottorff had a fine all-around game with 14 points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocked shots. Knuth contributed 14 points off the bench and Carter Duwa (Pleasant Valley HS, Bettendorf, Iowa) (12) and Johnson (11) also scored in double figures.
 
Hampton and Akinwumi led Millikin with 14 points each.
 
The Vikings finished the night  27 of 57 (.474) from the field, six of 19 (.316) from three-point range and 19 of 22 (.864) at the foul line. The Big Blue shot .413 (26-63) from the floor, .273 (6-22) from beyond the arc and .471 (8-17) from the charity stripe. Millikin won the battle of the boards by a 38-35 margin and committed 16 turnovers to Augustana's 15.
 
On Tuesday, February 9, the Vikings will face a top-ten opponent for the fourth time in their first six contests, hosting fourth-ranked Illinois Wesleyan at Carver Center in a 7:00 p.m. tilt.