AUGUSTANA USES STRONG SECOND HALF TO PULL AWAY FROM UMC FOR 84-60 WIN

The University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagle Men’s Basketball team traveled to Augustana to take on the Vikings in the Elmen Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Augustana would use a solid second half to get an 84-60 win. 

FIRST HALF-
UMC would jump out to an early 6-4 lead as Ben Hoverson (Jr. Grand Forks, ND) knocked down four free throws, and Blaize Sagna (Jr. London, England) added a lay-up to give UMC a two-point advantage. Augustana would respond with an 11-4 run to give them a 15-10 lead. The Golden Eagles would answer with a lay-up from Peter Fuchs Jr. (R-Fresh Wausau, WI) and a field goal from Hoverson. Later in the half, Reid Grant (Jr. Johnson, IA) would hit a pair of jumpers before UMC added threes from Hoverson and Sagna to cut the Augustana lead down to 26-24. Sagna would get a pair of lay-ups, but the Vikings responded with twos to keep their lead towards the end of the half. Augustana would take a four-point, 32-28 lead into the break. 

SECOND HALF-
Augustana would start the second half with a 12-3 run, as UMC’s only basket during that stretch was a Hoverson three. Sagna hit four free throws, and Jordan Mitchell (R-Jr. Columbus, OH) added a lay-up to bring Augustana’s lead to single digits at 46-37. Later in the half, Grant would hit a three and a lay-up while Sagna buried a jumper to bring Augustana’s lead down to 57-47. Augustana responded with an 8-0 run and opened their biggest lead of the game of 18 points. UMC’s next seven points came from the charity stripe, as Sagna went on a 7-2 run himself to make it 67-54. Sagna would go 11-15 from the free throw line in the contest. The Vikings would use another run, this time 12-2, to get a 79-56 lead late in the second half. Fuchs and Myles Adams (Fresh Rosemount, MN) added two-pointers late as the Vikings would get the 84-60 win on their home floor.

UMC drops to 4-10 on the season and 1-7 in conference play. The Golden Eagles will host Winona State on Friday. Augustana improves to 8-7 on the season and 3-6 in conference play. The Vikings will head to the University of Mary next Friday.