WAVERLY, Iowa —
Daveion Hart hit a driving layup with 0.5 seconds left, giving the Augsburg University men's basketball team an 82-80 nonconference win over the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse on Friday night at the Wartburg (Iowa) Buzz Levick Invitational.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 82, Wisconsin-La Crosse 80
LOCATION: Levick Arena, Waverly, Iowa
RECORDS: Augsburg 3-1 overall, UW-La Crosse 1-2 overall
GAME RECAP
Hanif Muhammad set career highs with 34 points, seven steals and six assists, while adding four rebounds to lead the Auggies.
Elias Batala scored 24 points, one off his career-high scoring total. The game featured 15 ties and 15 lead changes, and Augsburg came back from a 37-31 halftime deficit by scoring 51 points in the second half. The Auggies finished with 12 steals and scored 23 points off turnovers while committing nine turnovers.
The first half moved back and forth early, with Muhammad's 3-pointer giving the Auggies a 7-6 lead and
JJ Semanko's steal leading to a layup-and-free throw sequence for a 13-10 advantage at 14:20. After Hart's free throw tied it at 16 at 9:13, Ian Kowal hit a 3-pointer and Sam Grieger scored twice as UW-La Crosse scored the next eight points to move ahead 24-16.
Augsburg answered with Muhammad's jumper, Semanko's two free throws, a Muhammad dunk off a Batala assist and Batala's tip-in to get within 26-24, but UW-La Crosse came back with a Carson Bauer 3-pointer and Devon Fielding layup for a 31-24 lead. The Auggies pulled within 31-29 on Semanko's 3-pointer at 2:48 and within 34-31 on Batala's free throws at 2:03, but Collin Johnson's 3-pointer at 1:13 was the final make of the half and left the Eagles ahead 37-31 at halftime.
Muhammad's 3-pointer put the Auggies ahead 43-42 at 15:52, and after UW-La Crosse moved back in front 48-45, Augsburg scored the next 10 points behind Batala, Muhammad and
Keenan Rodriguez to lead 55-48 at 12:18. The Eagles worked back within 57-56 on Sam Grieger's jumper at 9:30 and later went up 64-61, but Muhammad's steals led to a layup by him at 6:39 and a Batala layup and free throw at 5:47 for a 66-64 Augsburg edge.
The teams traded ties through 70-70 before Batala followed with a dunk, added a layup and free throw, and Muhammad scored again to give the Auggies a 75-70 lead with 2:26 left. Grieger scored a jumper and free throw at 2:03 and a layup and free throw at 1:18 to put the Eagles ahead 76-75, but the final minute swung back and forth: Batala made two free throws at :50, Jack Crowley answered with a layup at :31, Muhammad converted a layup and free throw at :21, Grieger tied it with a layup at :04, and Hart scored at :00.5 for an 82-80 Auggie win.
AUGSBURG PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS
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Hanif Muhammad: Career highs with 34 points, 7 steals and 6 assists, added 4 rebounds, 14-for-21 from the field
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Elias Batala: 24 points, 12-for-13 free throws, 6 rebounds, 2 steals
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JJ Semanko: 16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 assists
UW-LA CROSSE PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS
• Sam Grieger: 36 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 10-for-12 free throws
• Carson Bauer: 10 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists
• Devon Fielding: 10 points, 3 rebounds
UP NEXT
The Auggies face host Wartburg College in the Buzz Levick Invitational title game at Levick Arena in Waverly, Iowa, on Saturday, Nov. 14 at 4 p.m.
