MINNEAPOLIS -- A 14-3 run over a 3:15 span midway through the second half gave the University of Northwestern-St. Paul a double-digit advantage, and it would not relinquish the lead the rest of the way in an 85-77 nonconference men's basketball victory over host Augsburg University on Tuesday evening.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Northwestern-St Paul 85, Augsburg 77
LOCATION: Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis
RECORDS: Augsburg 4-5 overall, Northwestern-St. Paul 5-6 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The 14-3 scoring run gave the Eagles a 70-59 advantage with 6:43 remaining. Augsburg used a 10-3 run to cut the lead to four points, 73-69 with 2:49 left, but Northwestern pushed the advantage back up to double-digits in the final stretch.
• Andy Stafford (SR, Hopkins, Minn./Hopkins HS) claimed his third straight 20-point-plus performance after returning to the lineup following a four-game absence due to injury, scoring 22 points with four rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot.
• Elias Batala (SO, Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview HS) scored in double figures for the seventh straight game, scoring 18 points.
• Ali Axmed (SO, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North HS) scored 11 points with two assists and two steals, and Mario Adams (SO, Eagan, Minn./Eastview HS) scored eight points with nine rebounds. Julien Hussherr (JR, Strasbourg, Alsace, France/Episcopal Saint Etienne HS) had four assists.
• Augsburg connected on 43.5 percent (27-of-62) from the field, compared to 50.0 percent (31-of-62) from Northwester. The Auggies outrebounded the Eagles by a 39-35 margin.
 
FOR THE FOES
• AJ Greene scored 20 points with three rebounds and four rebounds to lead Northwestern.
• Japheth Nyamari scored 14 points and Elijah Burns scored 13 points.

UP NEXT
• Augsburg travels to Daytona Beach, Fla., for a pair of nonconference games this weekend, facing Beloit (Wis.) on Friday (12/20) at 5 p.m., and Mount Saint Vincent (N.Y.) on Saturday (12/21) at 7 p.m.