NORTHFIELD, Minn. (2/16/99) -- St. Olaf College's men's basketball team kept pace bucket-for-bucket with league-leading Augsburg College during the first half on Monday, but the Auggies clamped their defensive pincers on the Oles in the second stanza to win 94-80 at St. Olaf's Skoglund Athletic Center. The victory gives Augsburg, winners of their last 16 games in a row, at least a share of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship at 17-1 in the conference and 20-2 overall, while St. Olaf drops to 8-10 in the MIAC and 11-11 overall.

Kevin Van Rossum (Jr., Green Bay, Wis./Preble HS) led Augsburg with 23 points, while Kris Long (Sr., Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti HS) had 18. Jeoffrey Reed (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn./De La Salle HS) added 14 points, and Devean George (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret HS) -- the league's leading scorer -- was held to 13 points, along with Jason Beckendorf (Jr., Lakeville, Minn.), but did reach two career milestones in the game.

George now has 2,105 points and 800 rebounds in 90 career games. George is inching closer to the school's career scoring record, held by current head coach Brian Ammann (2,271 points, 1981-85). He is also second in school history in career rebounds. The record, held by Dan Anderson (1961-65), is 1,211 rebounds. George, a multiple All-America selection last year, scored in double figures for the 86th time in his 90-game career, and the 78th time in his last 79 games. The double-double was George's 32nd of his career (16th this season).

St. Olaf matched Augsburg field goal for field goal in the first half, with each team connecting on 16 two-pointers, but the Auggies went to the dressing room with a 46-45 halftime edge.

Tough Auggie defense in the second half left the Oles with cold shooting. St. Olaf connected on only 14-of-38 field goals in the second stanza for a lukewarm 37 percent, while Augsburg sizzled with 18-of-23 (78 percent) from the field. The Oles also gave the Auggies plenty of second-half chances from the free-throw line, although Augsburg converted only 8-of-18 compared to 2-of-3 for St. Olaf.

The Oles' Justin Herzog (Sr., Maple Grove, Minn./Totino-Grace HS) led all scorers with 27 points. Matt Jensen (Sr., Waseca, Minn.) added 17 and Chuck Schroeder (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn./Totino-Grace HS) had 16.

Augsburg needs just one win in its last two games to clinch the outright MIAC regular-season championship for the second year in a row. Augsburg, which already has clinched a home MIAC playoff semifinal game on Feb. 25, would clinch home court for the MIAC playoff final on Feb. 27 as well with the regular-season title. The Auggies host Carleton on Wednesday (2/17) at 7:30 p.m. and finish the regular season with a game at Hamline on Saturday (2/20) at 3 p.m. St. Olaf closes its regular season with a home game on Wednesday (2/17) at 7:30 p.m. against Hamline, and plays at Carleton on Saturday (2/20) at 3 p.m.

---

Augsburg 94, St. Olaf 80
Feb. 15, 1999 at Skoglund Athletic Center, Northfield, Minn.
Attendance: 2,000.
Technical Fouls: St. Olaf bench (1).

Score by Periods                                1st   2nd Total
Augsburg College (20-2 overall, 17-1 MIAC)      46    48    94
St. Olaf College (11-11 overall, 8-10 MIAC)     45    35    80

Augsburg College (94)      FGs    3FGs   FTs    O-D--Reb  PF   Pts. Ast. Trn. Blk. Stl. MP
*3 Jeoffrey Reed           6-8    1-1    1-2    1-1--2    2    14   4    3    0    1    32
*22 Kevin Van Rossum       8-12   5-7    2-3    0-2--2    2    23   1    0    1    1    31
24 Josh Natzel             1-1    0-0    0-0    0-1--1    0    2    1    1    0    0    8
31 Eric Herried            1-1    1-1    0-0    0-0--0    1    3    1    1    0    0    7
32 John Anderson           1-1    1-1    0-0    0-0--0    2    3    0    1    0    0    9
*40 Devean George          5-13   0-4    3-9    4-12--16  1    13   3    4    4    3    37
*43 Jason Beckendorf       4-7    2-3    3-5    1-3--4    1    13   4    2    0    1    33
45 Kyle Crubel             1-3    1-2    2-2    0-3--3    0    5    0    0    0    0    13
50 Drazen Kasaic           0-2    0-0    0-0    1-1--2    1    0    0    1    0    0    7
*52 Kris Long              7-10   0-0    4-5    3-3--6    3    18   2    0    1    0    23
Team                                            0-2--2                   0
Totals                     34-58  11-19  15-26 10-28--38  13   94   16   13   6    6    200:00
Deadball Rebounds: 6 (5, 1)
Field-goal shooting: First half--16-35 (45.7%), Second half--18-23 (78.3%), Total--34-58 (58.6%).
Three-point shooting: First half--7-13 (53.8%), Second half--4-6 (66.7%), Total--11-19 (57.9%).
Free-throw shooting: First half--7-8 (87.5%), Second half--8-18 (44.4%), Total--15-26 (57.7%).

St. Olaf College (80)      FGs    3FGs   FTs    O-D--Reb  PF   Pts. Ast. Trn. Blk. Stl. MP
*10 Ryan Olson             2-8    0-3    2-2    0-2--2    3    6    1    0    0    0    29
20 Matt Hofkens            0-1    0-0    1-2    0-1--1    1    1    2    0    0    0    12
22 Jeb Johnson             2-5    1-2    2-2    0-1--1    1    7    1    0    0    0    14
*24 Chuck Schroeder        6-20   4-9    0-0    0-6--6    0    16   7    2    0    2    39
*40 Chad Anderson          2-4    0-0    0-0    1-1--2    4    4    0    0    0    0    27
*44 Justin Herzog          10-17  5-8    2-3    1-7--8    4    27   3    3    0    3    37
*50 Matt Jensen            7-12   1-1    2-2    3-1--4    3    17   4    3    1    1    31
54 Andy Covert             1-1    0-0    0-0    0-0--0    2    2    0    1    0    0    11
Team                                            0-1--1                   0
Totals                     30-68  11-23  9-11   5-20--25  18   80   18   9    1    6    200:00
Deadball Rebounds: 6
Field-goal shooting: First half--16-30 (53.3%), Second half--14-38 (36.8%), Total--30-68 (44.1%).
Three-point shooting: First half--6-12 (50.0%), Second half--5-11 (45.5%), Total--11-23 (47.8%).
Free-throw shooting: First half--7-8 (87.5%), Second half--2-3 (66.7%), Total--9-11 (81.8%).