MINNEAPOLIS --
Elias Batala (SO, Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview HS) scored on a rebound at the buzzer, giving the Augsburg University men's basketball team an 82-80 victory over the College of St. Scholastica to close the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season on Saturday afternoon.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 82, St. Scholastica 80
LOCATION: Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis
RECORDS: Augsburg 12-13 overall (8-8 MIAC), St. Scholastica 9-16 overall (5-11 MIAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Tied 80-80 with 17 seconds left, the Auggies worked the ball around to
Andy Stafford (SR, Hopkins, Minn./Hopkins HS), who put up a contested shot from the top of the key that bounced off the back of the rim. A
Will Blascziek (SR, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North HS) tip-in attempt glanced off the rim, and Batala grabbed the rebound and put it home for the game-winner at the buzzer.
• The game was a close one throughout, with neither team leading by more than eight points. Augsburg connected on 49.3 percent (33-of-67) from the field in the game, while St. Scholastica hit 42.0 percent (29-of-69). Augsburg controlled the paint in the game, with a 54-34 points-in-the-paint advantage.
• Stafford led all scorers with 21 points, adding five rebounds.
• Batala scored 16 points with four rebounds, four steals and two assists, and Blascziek scored 10 points with six rebounds and four assists.
•
Mario Adams (SO, Eagan, Minn./Eastview HS) scored eight points, while
Myles Adams (SO, Eagan, Minn./Eastview HS) scored seven points with five rebounds.
•
Julien Hussherr (JR, Strasbourg, Alsace, France/Episcopal Saint Etienne HS) scored six points with five assists and three rebounds, and
Trent Gomez (SO, Two Harbors, Minn./Two Harbors HS) scored six points with three rebounds.
FOR THE FOES
• Aaron Keykal led St. Scholastica with 15 points and 13 rebounds, adding three assists, a steal and a blocked shot.
• Tanner Thomson scored 17 points.
UP NEXT
• Augsburg is the No. 5 seed in the six-team MIAC postseason playoffs, and will travel to face No. 4-seed Carleton College in a quarterfinal game on Tuesday (2/25) at 7 p.m. in Northfield, Minn. The Auggies topped the Knights in their only meeting of the regular season, a 74-70 victory at Carleton on Jan. 4.
