Men's Basketball 1/05/02 -- St. Mary's 72, Augsburg 69 

BOXSCORE

MINNEAPOLIS (1/5/02) -- Nick Michaels (Jr., Dyer, Ind./Mount Carmel HS) hit five three-pointers and led all scorers with 26 points, as St. Mary's University used a 19-3 run in the second half to rally past Augsburg College 72-69 in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's basketball game Saturday afternoon at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall.

Four Cardinals scored in double figures, and the Cardinals connected on nine 3-pointers to improve to 2-7 overall and 2-4 in the MIAC with the upset win. Augsburg dropped to 6-5 overall and 2-4 in MIAC play. The Auggies have lost four straight games and five of their last six games since starting the season 5-0.

Trailing 42-39 early in the second half, St. Mary's used a 19-3 run over a seven-minute span to take a 58-45 lead with 11:31 remaining in the game. The 13-point advantage was the largest for either team in the game. Michaels had five points in the Carcdinal scoring run, as did Brett Johnson (Sr., Onalaska, Wis.), with Jason Dzick (Sr., Duluth, Minn./Denfeld HS) adding four points.

Dzick and Johnson scored 11 points apiece, while Ryan Wilt (Jr., Naperville, Ill./Aurora Christian HS) had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Johnson added seven assists for the Cardinals.

Augsburg clawed back into the game, eventually cutting the lead to two points, 66-64, with 4:04 left, on the heels of a 9-2 scoring run. Jay Howard (So., Burnsville, Minn.) had five points in the scoring run.

Howard notched his fourth double-double of the season, leading the Auggies with 24 points, 12 rebounds and two blocked shots. Adam Kotewa (Jr., Mankato, Minn./Mankato West HS) had three 3-pointers and scored 16 points, while Jeff Willihnganz (So., Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh West HS) had nine points and four assists.

Trailing 72-66 with 12 seconds left, Howard hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to three points with seven seconds left. Johnson was sent to the free-throw line with six seconds left, but missed both of his attempts. A running three-point try from halfcourt by reserve guard Travis Kalis (So., Elysian, Minn./Waterville-Elysian-Morristown HS) hit the front of the rim to end the game.

St. Mary's returns to MIAC play on Monday (1/7), hosting Hamline at 7:30 p.m. Augsburg returns to action with an MIAC game at St. John's on Wednesday (1/9) at 7:30 p.