welch, jt
Ricky Esparza
67
Winner Millikin MIL-U 9-4,3-1 CCIW
62
Augustana (IL) AUGIE 8-5,1-3 CCIW
Winner
Millikin MIL-U
9-4,3-1 CCIW
67
Final
62
Augustana (IL) AUGIE
8-5,1-3 CCIW
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Millikin MIL-U 22 45 67
Augustana (IL) AUGIE 33 29 62

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Morgan Vogels

Second Half Comeback Lifts Big Blue Men's Basketball over Augustana

The Millikin men's basketball team traveled to Rock Island, Ill. on Wednesday, January 8 to continue their College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin campaign taking on Augustana College. The Big Blue were down 11 at the halftime break in a 22-33 contest before outscoring the Vikings 45-29 in the second half to take a 67-62 victory, moving to 3-1 in CCIW play. 

JT Welch was the leading scorer with 23 points. Chase Travis added 13, and Lane Thomann chipped in 10. Thomann, DeMarcus Bond, and Nate Straughter all nabbed five rebounds apiece. The Big Blue shot 45% from the field in the second half, including going 4-for-6 from three point range, an improvement from their 38% shooting in the first half. But, the biggest difference lied in the free throw differential. After shooting zero free throws in the first half, Millikin was 21-for-23 at the charity stripe in half number two. 

Evan Ambrose was the leading scorer for the Vikings, with Staishaun Kelley adding 13 and Tyler Knuth chipping in 10. 

Already having a lead of eight nearing the halftime break, a buzzer beating three pointer off the hand of Matt Hawkins gave the Vikings a double digit lead, leaving the Big Blue with a big task to undertake in the second half. 

After trading buckets early in the second, back-to-back threes by Welch and a layup by Bond had the Big Blue down three with 14:51 to go. After Augustana re-extended their lead to eight, an and-one layup and made free throw by Thomann with 8:07 left to tick dwindled the deficit back to three. Another Welch three helped bring the lead to two minutes later, then free throws by Travis and Thomann gave Millikin their first lead of the half with 4:18 to go.

Millikin led by as much as nine, securing the 67-62 win despite another Augustana buzzer beating three, this time by Anthony Cooper. 

The Big Blue will hit the road again on Saturday, January 11 for an out of state matchup against the Firebirds of Carthage College as they continue their tour of the CCIW with tipoff set for 4:15 p.m.
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