MINNEAPOLIS -- A 24-6 run over an eight-and-a-half-minute span in the second half turned a close game into a dominating performance, as the Augsburg University men's basketball team claimed an 86-70 nonconference victory over Martin Luther College on Monday evening.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 86, Martin Luther 70
LOCATION: Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis
RECORDS: Augsburg 7-8 overall, Martin Luther 3-7 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Augsburg jumped out to a 22-10 lead over the first seven minutes of play, but Martin Luther slowly cut into the advantage, as the Auggies led 44-41 at halftime. Neither team led by more than four points in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, and the Auggies led just 62-61 with 9:19 remaining. Augsburg then went on a 24-6 run, with Elias Batala (SO, Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview HS) scoring nine points and Trent Gomez (SO, Two Harbors, Minn./Two Harbors HS) scoring eight points, to take its largest lead of the game, 86-67 with 1:43 left. Batala had two of his three dunks in the game in the 24-6 run.
• Five Auggies scored in double figures, led by Gomez's 18 points in 24 minutes off the bench, hitting 7-of-9 from the field and 4-of-6 from three-point range, while adding four rebounds, three steals and an assist.
• Batala scored in double figures for the 10th time this season, with 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting, with four rebounds, a career-high five steals and an assist.
• Andy Stafford (SR, Hopkins, Minn./Hopkins HS) scored 17 points with six rebounds and a season-high five assists, and Will Blascziek (SR, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North HS) scored 11 points with eight rebounds and a career-high seven assists.
• Mario Adams (SO, Eagan, Minn./Eastview HS) scored 10 points with five rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots, and Keenan Rodriguez (JR, Anoka, Minn./Anoka HS) scord eight points with three assists.
• Augsburg hit 46.1 percent (35-of-76) from the field in the game. The Auggies also took advantage of 18 Martin Luther turnovers, converting them into 23 points. Augsburg also dominated in the paint, outscoring the Knights by a 46-28 margin.

FOR THE FOES
• Adam Loberger led all scorers with 24 points, adding five rebounds.
• Thomas Balge came off the bench to score 12 points with six rebounds and three assists.

UP NEXT
• Augsburg returns to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Saturday (1/18) at 1 p.m., hosting St. Olaf at Si Melby Hall.