ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Freshman Dylan Sortillo (Bettendorf HS, Bettendorf, Iowa) came off the bench for a team-high 16 points and junior Jawan Straughter (Plainfield East HS, Bolingbrook, Ill.) keyed Augustana's defense Wednesday as the second-ranked Vikings clawed out a 58-56 win over Elmhurst at Carver Center. Coach Grey Giovanine's squad improved to 12-1 overall and 2-0 in the CCIW, while the Bluejays suffered just their second loss in 13 games and fell to 1-1 in the league.
Straughter helped lead a defensive effort that held Elmhurst without a point for over eight minutes and without a field goal for more than 12 minutes in the first half. Kyle Wuest's short jumper just before the halftime buzzer finally got the lid off for the Bluejays as they went to the locker room trailing 25-19. Augustana built that lead despite shooting just .360 from the floor in the opening 20 minutes, including one of nine from beyond the arc.
Elmhurst started the second stanza strongly, tying the game at 27 on an Erik Crittendon basket before a pair of Brandon Schwebke free throws with 14:10 left gave the Bluejays a 33-32 lead—their first since the 10:16 mark of the first half. The next five minutes saw eight lead changes and a tie before Peyton Wyatt sandwiched a pair of buckets around one from Wuest in a 6-0 run that saw the visitors take their biggest lead of the night, 49-44 with 7:45 remaining.
After a Sortillo field goal got the Vikings within three, junior Tayvian Johnson (United Township HS, East Moline, Ill.) came up with a huge play. First, he blocked a Kenny Payonk shot at the rim and after Elmhurst chased down the long rebound, he stole a cross-court pass and went in for a layup—his only field goal of the evening—to make it 49-48 Bluejays.
Augustana regained the lead at 52-51 on a short Hunter Hill (Byron HS, Byron, Ill.) jumper with 4:28 left and again at 55-53 on Sortillo's three-pointer with 3:11 to play. However, a conventional three-point play by Bryant Ackerman put Elmhurst up one final time, 56-55 with 2:35 on the clock. The Bluejays had a chance to extend the lead, but Pat Coleman missed with just under two minutes to play and Hill was fouled on the rebound. The junior point guard knocked in both free throws for a 57-56 Viking lead.
After Ryan split two free throws with 28 seconds left, it was Straughter again coming up big defensively, blocking a Weust shot on a drive to the basket with six seconds on the clock. Elmhurst maintained possession, but after a timeout, could manage just desperation three from Coleman at the final buzzer that was well off.
The Vikings won despite shooting just .333 (19 of 57) from the field—their worst shooting performance in nearly a year and their lowest percentage in a win in nearly six years. Augustana hit just 4 of 24 (.167) three-point attempts, with all four makes coming from Sortillo, who also had two rebounds, two steals and an assist in 26 minutes. Hill joined him in double figures with 13 points. Straughter and junior Brandon Motzel (Carmel HS, Buffalo Grove, Ill.) led the Vikings with six rebounds each and Motzel added a game-high five blocked shots. Weust scored a game-high 20 for Elmhurst.
The Bluejays were 21 of 52 (.404) from the floor, five of 14 (.357) from three-point range and nine of 11 (.818) from the line and outrebounded the hosts by a 40-36 margin. However, Augustana committed just eight turnovers while Elmhurst turned it over 18 times.
Next up for the Vikings is a Carver Center matchup with North Park at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 10.