Men's Basketball 12/5/05 -- Augsburg 62, Bethel 59

BOXSCORE

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. (12/5/05) -- Justin Kozlowski (So., Wausau, Wis./Wausau Newman HS) scored nine of his team-high 15 points in the second half, including going 4-for-4 at the free-throw line in the final 19 seconds, leading the Augsburg College men's basketball team to a come-from-behind, 62-59 win at Bethel University in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's basketball game on Monday night at Bethel's Robertson Center.

Augsburg rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit, 35-24, outscoring Bethel 38-24 in the second half to improve to 2-4 overall, 1-2 in MIAC play. Bethel is now 3-2 overall, 0-2 in MIAC play.

A 20-8 run over the first nine minutes of the second half gave Augsburg a 44-43 lead with 11:16 left in the game, its first lead since a 7-6 advantage four minutes into the ballgame. Zeph Jones (Sr., Flint, Mich./Flint Central HS) had six points in the run, while Kozlowski and Grant Hemmingsen (Jr., New Brighton, Minn./Mounds View HS) had five points each in the run.

Jones and Hemmingsen had 11 points each in the game, with Jones adding eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals, and Hemmingsen adding five rebounds and a steal.

The teams exchanged leads 12 times in the game, which also featured three ties. Bethel pulled ahead by three points, 52-49, with 7:19 left, but Augsburg tied it on a three-pointer by Darren Nelson (So., Richfield, Minn.) with 6:15 left. A jumper by Dan Graf (Jr., Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS) gave the Auggies a 54-52 lead with 4:40 left. Graf scored all six of his points in the game in the final 9:07 of play.

Bethel took the lead back on a three-pointer by Tyson Bjorklund (Sr., Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS) with 4:21 remaining, but Augsburg took the lead for good on a jumper by Kevin Keto (Jr., Forest Lake, Minn.) with 3:46 left.

Kozlowski went 3-for-4 from three-point range in the game as part of his team-high 15 points, adding three assists. Nelson had seven points, four rebounds and three steals for the Auggies, while Keto, Graf and Matthew Huttner (Jr., Prior Lake, Minn./Rosemount HS) had six points apiece. Huttner added five rebounds.

Bethel was led by Matt Fredrickson (Sr., Eagan, Minn./Burnsville HS), who had 18 points and five rebounds. He went 3-for-7 from three-point range in the game and scored 14 points in the first half. Charles Meadowcroft (Jr., Plymouth, Minn./Columbia Heights, Minn.) scored 10 points.

Bjorklund and Andy Cook (Jr., Columbia Heights, Minn.) had nine points apiece, and Trent Perry (Sr., Arden Hills, Minn./Mounds View HS) had eight points. Steve Strom (Jr., New Brighton, Minn./Irondale HS) had nine rebounds for the Royals.

Augsburg returns to action with a home MIAC doubleheader on Wednesday (12/7) at Si Melby Hall against Carleton. The women's game is at 5:45 p.m., with the men's game to follow at 8 p.m. Bethel has a conference game, hosting St. John's on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.