MOORHEAD, Minn. -- The Augsburg University men's basketball team fell to Concordia College-Moorhead 87-73 in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest at Memorial Auditorium on Saturday. The Auggies were led by an 11-steal effort and converted 17 points off turnovers, but Concordia capitalized on strong rebounding, holding a 43-28 advantage on the boards to maintain their edge throughout the game.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Concordia-Moorhead 87, Augsburg 73
LOCATION: Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis
RECORDS: Augsburg 12-4 overall (5-2 MIAC), Concordia-Moorhead 11-5 overall (3-4 MIAC)

GAME RECAP
Augsburg opened the first half with an early jumper by Hanif Muhammad, establishing a quick lead. With 15 points, the game marked Muhammad's seventh time scoring in double figures as an Auggie. Elias Batala capitalized on a steal with a fast-break layup at 15:24, pushing the score to 8–2. The Auggies maintained their momentum with a 3-pointer from Julien Hussherr at 12:06, extending their advantage to 15-9. The Cobbers responded with Jacob Cook's layup at 14:57 and rallied with an 11-0 run, highlighted by a three-pointer from Payton Schell at 9:29, to take a 24-19 lead. Despite Augsburg's active defensive efforts, including six steals and a block, the Cobbers edged ahead late in the half. The first half concluded with Augsburg trailing 37–31.

Augsburg made a notable push in the second half with a series of 3-pointers that narrowed the gap. Muhammad's fast-break three-pointer at 7:36 trimmed Concordia's lead to five points. However, Concordia responded decisively, as Schell's layup and free throw at 4:48 extended their lead. Despite Keenan Rodriguez's defensive efforts and J.J. Semanko's steady scoring at the free-throw line, Augsburg trailed at the end of the half. Semanko had 27 points to score in double figures for the 14th time in his first 16 collegiate games, recording his sixth game with over 20 points. Concordia maintained their advantage, closing the game with an 87-73 victory.

AUGSBURG PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS
• JJ Semanko: 27 points, 12/14 free throws made, 8 rebounds, 2 steals  
• Hanif Muhammad: 15 points, 4 steals, 1 block  
• Keenan Rodriguez: 7 points, 4 assists, 3 steals  
• Isaac Rabaey: 10 points, 3 assists, 5 rebounds  

CONCORDIA PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS
• Payton Schell: 19 points, 4 three-pointers made, 2 blocks, 5 rebounds  
• Peyton Belka: 18 points, 4 three-pointers made, 2 steals, 3 assists  
• Jackson Loge: 19 points, 11 rebounds, 8/10 field goals made  
• Jacob Cook: 18 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists  

UP NEXT
• In their next game, the Auggies will play host to Hamline University on Wednesday, Jan. 21 in MIAC play. The matchup is set for 7 p.m. at Si Melby Hall in Minneapolis.