Box ScoreJoey Ryan scored a career-high 17 points and
Jerald Richardson added a season-high 16 points off the bench to help lead the Augustana College men's basketball team to a 79-68 victory over Upper Iowa Friday at the US Bancorp/McDonald's Classic in Marshall, Minn.
Augustana, which improved to 3-4 while snapping a three-game losing streak, led by as many as 16 points in the first half (26-10) with 10:11 to play in the stanza. But the Peacocks (1-9) rallied to trim the deficit to 39-35 at halftime.
The Vikings finally pulled away in the last 11 minutes of the game. Leading 56-54 with 10:28 remaining, Augustana went on a 9-2 run to open its lead to 65-56 with 8:04 to play.
After Upper Iowa cut the lead to 65-59, Augustana used an 8-2 run to put the game away at 73-61 with 2:24 on the clock.
The Vikings shot 49 percent from the field, including nearly 56 percent (15 of 27) in the second half. Augie was also 11 of 22 from 3-point range.
Mike Klepatz was the other Viking to reach double figures, scoring 12 points off the bench.
Augustana concludes the weekend by taking on Southwest Minnesota State Saturday at 8 p.m.
