NORTHFIELD, Minn. -- The No. 6-seed Augsburg University men's basketball team claimed a 69-68 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Playoff quarterfinal victory over No. 3-seed St. Olaf College at the Skoglund Athletic Center on Tuesday. Augsburg trailed 33-27 at halftime but rallied with a 42-point second half, capitalizing on 19 points off turnovers. The Oles managed 11 three-pointers but fell short despite a strong defensive effort with 10 steals. Augsburg will advance to face top-seed Gustavus in a playoff semifinal game on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 8 p.m. in St. Peter, Minn.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 69, St. Olaf 68
LOCATION: Skoglund Center, Northfield, Minn.
RECORDS: Augsburg 17-9 overall, St. Olaf 15-11 overall

GAME RECAP
Augsburg started the first half with a focus on scoring in the paint, tallying 16 points from inside. St. Olaf initially took control, scoring the first nine points and holding a 21-6 lead with 11:05 left in the first half. Augsburg then used a 21-12 run to cut the Ole advantage to 33-27 at halftime, with a pair of 3-pointers by Trent Gomez at 10:38 and 10:12 narrowing the deficit. A late surge, highlighted by Elias Batala's fastbreak layup at 1:41, brought them closer. 

The Auggies surged ahead with a pivotal run midway through the second half, highlighted by JJ Semanko's layup and free throw to secure a 45-42 lead at 13:34. This run included a 13-0 spurt that gave Augsburg its first lead of the game, 40-39, with 14:56 left to play. Scoring a game-high 25 points, Semanko has now scored in 23 of his first 26 collegiate games. With nine rebounds, he has now recorded seven-plus rebounds in 19 games.

Hanif Muhammad played a crucial role, scoring a fast-break layup at 9:17 and converting key free throws with 6:34 left to maintain the lead. This marked the 15th time Muhammad has scored in double figures this season, and it was his fifth game in a row achieving this feat. The Auggies continued to extend their advantage, with Batala's layup and free throw pushing the score to 60-56 at 5:53. Scoring 19 points, Elias Batala has now scored in double figures in 22 of his 26 games, including his last 10 games in a row.

Despite the Oles rallying to tie the game at 60, Augsburg regained control in the final minute. Semanko's jumper at 16 seconds cut the deficit to one, and his consecutive free throws with 4.3 seconds left sealed a dramatic 69-68 victory. 

AUGSBURG PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS
• JJ Semanko: 25 points, 9/15 field goals made, 9 rebounds  
• Elias Batala: 19 points, 7/13 field goals made, 4 rebounds  
• Hanif Muhammad: 12 points, 6/6 free throws made, 4 rebounds, 2 steals  

ST. OLAF PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS
• Kobe Kirk: 20 points, 6/7 free throws made, 2 blocks, 2 steals  
• Liam Madigan: 15 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals  
• Rex Lamb: 8 points, 2 blocks, 2 steals