The Augustana men’s basketball team fell short during a home game with the score of 67-74 against last years’ national champion, UW-Oshkosh, on Saturday, Nov. 9.
The Vikings started off strong as senior Pierson Wofford drove the ball down the court, making the first two shots of the night.
Augustana stayed consistent on offense, creating a 6-0 within the first few minutes of the game. The UW-Oshkosh Titans followed behind with a three pointer by Adam Fravert, but not before first-year Jack McDonald overturned the ball with 16:22 left on the clock.
“A lot of the players are new from last year,” senior Austin Elledge said. “We are learning how to work together, but I have confidence that we will be a strong team as the season continues.”
UW-Oshkosh scored a total of 13 points within the next four minutes of the game. This brought them up with a seven-point lead at 13:01. The Vikings fought back by adding eight consecutive points to the board. With the score of 22-23 the Titans extended the gap by leading with seven points at 3:43. The Vikings gained additional points but were down 28-31 by the end of the first half.
“I think this team needs to evolve but we have been focusing on communicating during team bonding. I am looking forward to seeing the growth develop among the players as the season progresses. There is no substitute for experience but it is a work in progress,” Head coach Grey Giovanine said.
After halftime, the Vikings proved to be more confident with their shots but had trouble maintaining a lead. Augustana came out of the gates strong with senior Donovan Ferguson shooting a free throw at 19:50.
Junior Jarrett Tribble made a quick layup just seconds after being put in the game, tying the game 34-34. Oshkosh played a strong offense as they continued to score 13 points within the next five minutes. At 15:09, sophomore Justin Bottorff overturned the ball while McDonald scored a three-pointer, waging the gap between the two scores.
At 10:42, senior Roman Youngblut scored two more points with a layout. Junior Carson Frakes scored, making the score 55-65.
The Titans were fouled on and successfully scored while Augie gained seven more points before the last minute of the game. With the clock at 2:42 and the score of 62-70, Tribble ran down the court to rebound the ball while first-year Daniel Carr shot two free throws.
“We have a lot of points to replace from last year but we are excited for this season. I try not to get wrapped up in my head but instead I focus on what needs to be accomplished,” Youngblut said.
By the end of the second half, the score came to 59-69 and the Vikings were pressed to make more shots. Fouls were called on both teams as the score continued to raise with just seconds remaining. The Vikings kept right behind Oshkosh, but time ran out as the final scored ended with the Titans taking the victory 67-74.