UMC MEN’S BASKETBALL GIVES UP 101 POINTS IN LOSS TO #21 AUGUSTANA

The University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles Men’s Basketball team gave up over 100 points for the second straight game in a 101-68 loss against #21 Augustana in an NSIC game played at Lysaker Gymnasium in Crookston. 

FIRST HALF – 
The game was tied at 2-2 early in the game when Augustana went on a 9-2 run with sniper-like shooting and outstanding rebounding to take an 11-4 lead less than five minutes into the game. UMC’s Harrison Cleary (Sr. Oak Creek, WI) rattled home a three-pointer to stop the run, but 10 seconds later Augustana answered a three-pointer, followed by another three-ball for a 17-6 lead. After two UMC free throws, Augustana answered with seven straight points for a 24-9 lead. The Golden Eagles Brian Sitzmann made a jump shot to stop the run, to get within a 24-11 deficit halfway through the first half. Augustana continued to roll in the final 10 minutes of the half and took a 53-30 lead into halftime. Augustana shot a blistering 53 percent (20 of 38) from the field in the half and they made 9-15 three-pointers for 60 percent. UMC struggled from long range making 3 of 17 shots for 18 percent. “Honestly, I thought we started the game much better (than against Northern State,” said UMC head coach Dan Weisse. “I thought we had decent energy, but I also thought that when they drove the ball down right away and scored in transition, and we don’t even get our defense back, that’s unacceptable. That’s not what winning basketball is. Augustana is a very good program, but if we want to be at the top of the league with them, we’ve got to have a better showing than this. I just didn’t like how we responded to getting punched in the mouth because when they hit us, our game plan went to the wayside.”

SECOND HALF –
If Minnesota Crookston had any hopes of a comeback in the second half, they ended three minutes after halftime. Augustana opened the second half with a 9-0 run taking a 62-30 lead with 17:22 to play. The Golden Eagles scored their first field goal of the second half 3:51 into the second half with a Harrison Cleary lay-up, but the Vikings countered with a 10-0 run pushing Augustana’s lead to 78-35. Augustana cruised for the final 14 minutes and left Lysaker Gymnasium with a 101-68 win to avenge last year’s NSIC Tournament loss in convincing fashion. “We didn’t like how tonight went,” summarized Weisse. “But we can feel a whole lot better if we can fix the things that need to be fixed. We’ve got to get back in transition. I just don’t think these last two games are indicative of this team. I’ve got to find my team. These seniors have worked too hard the last four years to let this happen twice. We’ve got some time here, but we’ve got to have urgency.”

Minnesota Crookston falls to 6-4 on the year and 2-2 in NSIC play. The Golden Eagles return to the court on Saturday when UMC takes on Wayne State at 5:30 P.M. #21 Augustana improves to 9-1 overall and 4-0 in conference games.