Men's Basketball 2/5/03 -- Augsburg 74, Bethel 62 

BOXSCORE

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. (2/5/03) -- Casey Zilka (Jr., Eden Prairie, Minn.) hit four 3-pointers and led the Auggies with a season-high 22 points -- 16 in the second half -- as Augsburg College scored a 74-62 win over Bethel College in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's basketball contest Wednesday night at Bethel's Robertson Center.

All five Augsburg starters scored in double figures, as the Auggies improved to 10-11 overall and 7-9 in MIAC play. Augsburg has won seven of its last 10 games.

Bethel played without one of the top players in the MIAC, forward Andy Gilbert (Sr., Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS), who was lost due to injury. The Royals dropped to 13-8 overall, 11-5 in MIAC play.

Augsburg outscored Bethel 14-4 over the first six minutes of the game and held a nine-point advantage midway through the half, though Bethel cut the Auggie lead to 32-30 at halftime.


After Bethel tied the game at 32-32 a minute into the second half, Augsburg took the advantage again, outscoring Bethel 14-4 over the next seven minutes to take a 46-36 lead with 12:00 left in the game. Zilka had nine points, including a three-pointer, in the Auggie run.

Bethel cut the lead to five points, 61-56 with 3:04 left, but the Auggies clinched the game by scoring nine unanswered points in a 1:31 span, hitting four of five field goals to take a 70-56 lead with 1:15 left. Zilka had four points in the quick Auggie surge.

Point guard Yarzue Slowon (So., Crystal, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) scored 15 points for the Auggies, adding five rebounds, six steals and four assists. Marcus Gholson (Jr., Gary, Ind./William A. Wirt HS) and Jay Howard * (Sr., Burnsville, Minn.) had 11 points each, with Gholson adding six rebounds and Howard contributing three blocked shots. Rob Collins (Jr., Richfield, Minn.) had 10 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Augsburg took advantage of 20 Bethel turnovers, scoring 23 points off the miscues, compared to Bethel's 16 off of 16 Auggie turnovers.

Bethel was paced by Travis Jones (So., Willmar, Minn.), who had 12 points, five rebounds and three blocked shots. Joe Dykhoff (Jr., Blaine, Minn.) had 11 points. Tim Gilbert (So., Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) had nine points, and John Jacobs (Jr., Wells, Minn./United South Central HS) and Drew Brodin (Sr., Vadnais Heights, Minn./Mounds View HS) had eight poins apiece. Jacobs led the Royals with eight rebounds.

Both teams return to MIAC action on Saturday (2/8) at 3 p.m. Augsburg hosts Hamline at Si Melby Hall, while Bethel plays at St. Olaf.