MINNEAPOLIS -- Augsburg University jumped out to a big lead, held off a Bethel University comeback, then pulled away again in the second half to improve to 8-1, claiming a 72-64 victory in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest on Wednesday evening.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 72, Bethel 64
LOCATION: Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis
RECORDS: Augsburg 8-1 overall (3-0 MIAC), Bethel 3-4 overall (1-1 MIAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Augsburg jumped out to a 22-6 lead in the first 8:33 of play, but Bethel used a 15-0 run to tie the game at 27-27 with 3:35 left in the opening half. The teams exchanged leads in the opening minutes of the second half, before the Auggies used a 9-2 run to take a 48-41 advantage with 13:45 left. A 13-2 run gave the Auggies a 61-47 lead with 7:09 left, with the Auggies not letting the lead dip below eight points the rest of the way.
• Three Auggies scored in double figures in the contest. Isaac Rabaey (SR, Hastings, Minn./Hastings HS) scored 11 points with six rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots. Trent Gomez (JR, Two Harbors, Minn./Two Harbors HS) scored 11 points with three steals, and Ali Axmed (JR, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North HS) scored 11 points.
• JJ Semanko (FY, New Hope, Minn./Hopkins HS) scored nine points with six rebounds and two assists, Sam Mickelson (SO, Madison, Wis./Memorial HS) scored nine points, and Daveion Hart (FY, Brooklyn Park, Minn./Hopkins HS) scored eight points with four assists.
• Augsburg was outrebounded by a 41-28 margin by Bethel, but took advantage of 18 Bethel turnovers, scoring 22 points. Bethel scored six points on just seven Auggie miscues. 

FOR THE FOES
• Sam Gingras scored 16 points, while Jay Neubert scored 14 points with four rebounds, for Bethel.
• Nick Burke had a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double.

UP NEXT
• Augsburg competes at the Nashville (Tenn.) Music City Classic on Dec. 19-20, facing Ramapo College (N.J.) and Randolph-Macon College (Va.) in nonconference games.