It began as a half-closing 14-1 run for the Augustana College men's basketball team Wednesday evening, and Tyler Knuth made sure there was no second-half letdown.
He and the hosting Vikings kept up the scoring in the second half and rode that to a solid 101-76 CCIW victory over a visiting Wheaton club that came into the Carver Center averaging over 90 points a game in its past four games with a smaller lineup.
Knuth finished with a game-high 35 points in his team-high 26 minutes of action, watching much of the second half from the bench after his 11-of-20 shooting night from the field. He also hit 5 of 10 3-pointers.
"He had it going a little bit," Augie coach Jordan Delp said of his fifth-year standout.
Fourteen of the 17 Vikings to play in the game cracked the scoring column with Staishaun Kelley (11 points, 2 steals) being the only other Viking in double digits.
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Augie's bigger lineup also won the board battle 39-31.
"We defended and rebounded pretty darn well in the first half," Delp said. "Anytime you can force 11 turnovers and then you can out-rebound a team by nine in a half, you're gonna give yourself a chance to be pretty successful.
"We know when we do those things that the offensive side of the floor is going to get that much easier."
The victory was a key one for the Vikings, who moved to 15-9, 8-7 in league play. They took over sole possession of fourth place in the league race with Elmhurst losing at Carthage. That puts the Vikings in position to host a CCIW Tournament quarterfinal contest next week if they beat nationally-ranked Illinois Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon at home.
However, things remain very fluid in the league as Augie, Elmhurst (11-13, 7-8 CCIW), and North Central (14-10, 7-8 CCIW) battle for seeds in the six-team tournament behind Carthage, Illinois Wesleyan and North Park.
Augie's closing game will be a tough one against second-place Illinois Wesleyan (20-4, 12-3 CCIW), which comes to town for the Senior Day festivities that begin at 2 p.m. with the women's matchup.
The women's contest against the league-leading and nationally ranked Titans will also carry CCIW Tournament implications as the Vikings (10-14, 6-9 CCIW) will need a victory to scratch their way into the six-team women's field.
On Wednesday, Augie's men bounced back from a tough Saturday setback at Carroll, and it all began with the closing minutes of the first half.
The Vikings led the last-place Thunder (6-18, 3-12 CCIW) just 34-28 with 4:23 left in the opening half.
Evan Ambrose (8 points, 3 assists) started the spree with a drive to the hoop. Knuth and Ambrose each added two free throws. Knuth was then the beneficiary of a great Kelley pass as he scored on a baseline cut. Kelley then added an old-fashioned three-point play after a steal in the Thunder end and breakaway.
After a Wheaton free throw stopped Augie's run, Knuth hit a top-of-the-key 3-pointer with around :05 left in the half that gave the hosts a 48-29 lead.
The onslaught continued in the second half as the Vikings closed out the season sweep of the Thunder that included a 75-62 win at King Arena.
Now, it all comes down to a big one Saturday.
"We've got a challenge in front of us," Delp said, "but we like those."
St. Xavier 103, St. Ambrose 101: In a game dominated by offense, two missed free throws with two seconds left in regulation proved costly as the St. Ambrose University men's basketball team just missed a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference upset, falling 103-101 on Wednesday evening at Lee Lohman Arena.
Fifth-year senior Will Spriggs led SAU (14-12, 7-12 CCAC) with a game-high 35 points, leading all five Fighting Bees starters in double-digit scoring. Former United Township High School prep Atem Agot added 21, Grant Mason 15, Ignacio Dacunda 12 and Guillermo Narbona 11. Dacunda recorded a double-double with 10 rebounds that SAU's 39-38 rebounding edge.
SXU led 103-99 when Spriggs made two free throws with 00:15 left in regulation to pull SAU within striking distance. But Spriggs, who was 10-of-14 from the line, then had both free throws with 00:02 left bound off the iron and end the game.
SXU also had five players in double-digit scoring led by reserve Jordan Jackson's 25 points. That helped the Cougars (18-9, 13-6 CCAC) to a 54-7 bench scoring advantage.
The loss dropped SAU into a tie for the eighth with Viterbo for the final spot determining CCAC Tournament teams. The Bees close the regular season Saturday at home against Trinity Christian (8-19, 5-14 CCAC) at 3 p.m.
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