ST. PETER, Minn. -- The 2025-26 Augsburg University men's basketball team's season came to an end with an 84-68 loss to Gustavus Adolphus College in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Playoff semifinal game on Thursday. Gustavus, the MIAC regular-season champion, entered the game as the No. 11-ranked team in the latest D3hoops.com Division III national poll. The Auggies struggled in the first half, trailing 45-28 at halftime. Despite a stronger second half with 40 points, they could not overcome the Gusties' 52 points in the paint. Augsburg's defense recorded five steals and three blocks, but the team was unable to close the gap.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Gustavus 84, Augsburg 68
LOCATION: Gus Young Court, St. Peter, Minn.
RECORDS: Augsburg 17-10 overall, Gustavus 24-2 overall

GAME RECAP
Augsburg started the first half with a layup by Isaac Rabaey at 18:04, assisted by Elias Batala. Despite efforts to close the gap, the Auggies were challenged by the Gusties' strong inside presence, which resulted in 32 points in the paint for the home team. Augsburg found some offensive rhythm when Hanif Muhammad hit a 3-pointer at 5:27, bringing their score to 21. Notably, this was Muhammad's 16th time scoring in double figures this season, his sixth straight game achieving this feat, and the 11th time in his last 13 games.

Nevertheless, the Gusties maintained control throughout, concluding the half leading 45-28. The Auggies struggled with shooting efficiency, converting only 34.5% of their field goal attempts compared to the Gusties' 52.6% shooting percentage.

Augsburg found momentum in the second half with a consistent scoring effort, highlighted by Keenan Rodriguez's fast-break 3-pointer at 17:08. The team also capitalized on free throw opportunities, converting 15 of 16 attempts, which helped maintain pressure. Despite Gustavus's strong inside presence, Augsburg's Muhammad contributed significantly with a layup and free throw at 9:25, reducing the deficit. Gustavus maintained a strong lead early in the second half with Barnette and Andrew Quam contributing key points, including fast-break plays and free throws. Augsburg's Rodriguez and Muhammad responded with a series of successful shots, but Gustavus's Jake Schmitt and Izuora extended the lead with timely 3-pointers.

Despite a late push from Augsburg, led by JJ Semanko's scoring efforts, the Gusties held on to secure the victory. Semanko scored a team-best 23 points, pulling down 12 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season. He scored in double figures in 24 of his 27 games this season, and reached the 20-point plateau in 10 games. The final moments saw Muhammad scoring a fast-break layup, closing the gap, but the game ended with Gustavus ahead, 84-68.

AUGSBURG PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS
• Hanif Muhammad: 22 points, 3 rebounds  
• JJ Semanko: 23 points, 10/10 free throws made, 12 rebounds  
• Trent Gomez: 5 points, 2 steals, 3 rebounds  
• Keenan Rodriguez: 7 points, 1 steal  

GUSTAVUS PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS
• Myles Barnette: 21 points, 2 assists  
• Obinna Izuora: 17 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals  
• Andrew Quam: 16 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals  
• Jake Schmitt: 14 points, 4 rebounds