Box Score
Upper Iowa rallied from a 19-point first-half deficit to upset No. 18 Augustana 70-67 Friday night in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action in Fayette, Iowa.
The loss snapped Augustana's eight-game winning streak and dropped the Vikings to 13-2 overall and 6-2 in the NSIC. Upper Iowa improved to 7-9 overall and 4-5 in the conference following its first-ever win over a nationally-ranked Division II opponent.
The game was a tale of two halves. Augustana grabbed the early momentum thanks to sizzling shooting from the field. The Vikings trailed early, 4-2, but quickly grabbed the lead and built it. Leading 9-8, Augustana used a 10-2 run to take a 19-10 lead with 12:20 to play in the half.
Augustana began to pull away in the final 8:30 of the half. Holding a 21-14 advantage, the Vikings scored 12 unanswered points to take their largest lead of the game at 33-14 with 5 minutes to play in the period.
Cody Schilling started the rally with a pair of buckets, while Kenny Brown capped the run with 2 free throws and a basket.
Upper Iowa managed to cut the lead to 10 points at 36-26 with 2 minutes remaining, but the Vikings regained control and led 42-26 at halftime.
Augustana could not have shot much better in the first half. The Vikings shot 54 percent from the field, making 14 of 26 shots, including 4 of 7 3-point attempts. They even made 10 of 11 free throws.
But the second half was a different story. Upper Iowa, which shot 37 percent in the first half, found the shooting touch in the second as the Peacocks shot 54 percent after intermission. Conversely, the Vikings shot 33 percent in the final 20 minutes.
UIU raced out of the gates at the outset of the second half, outscoring Augustana 10-3 to make it a 9-point game at 45-36 with 16:50 to play.
Augustana withstood the charge and managed to increase the margin back to 13 at 51-38 with 12:33 remaining. That's when the Peacocks staged their big comeback, using a 13-2 outburst to cut the deficit to 2 at 53-51 with 9 minutes on the clock.
However, Augustana did not relinquish the lead. The Vikings settled down and led by 6 points, 62-56, with 4 minutes left. But back-to-back 3-pointers by Keith Steffeck ignited a 10-3 run that gave the hosts a 66-65 lead with just over a minute remaining.
Augie's
David Foster answered at the other end with a driving layup to put the Vikings in front 67-66 with 48 seconds remaining. On UIU's next possession, Dan Bestful missed a 3-point shot, but the Peacocks got the rebound and Mark Lafrenz scored down low to give Upper Iowa the lead for good at 68-67 with 19 seconds left.
Foster had a chance to give the Vikings a lead but his jumper with 7 seconds rimmed out and Upper Iowa's Tucker Wentzien hauled in the rebound and was fouled. He proceeded to make both free throws to increase the Peacock lead to 70-67 with 3.7 seconds on the clock.
Foster managed to get a good look at a potential game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds, but his shot also rimmed out.
Schilling led four Vikings in double figures with 14 points. Foster and
Lee Stephens each scored 12 points, while Brown added 10 points off then bench, all in the first half.
Steffeck scored a game-high 17 points to lead UIU. He was joined in double figures by Matt Lesan with 15 points and Lafrenz with 11 points.
Augustana will be back in action on Saturday when the Vikings travel to Winona, Minn., to face Winona State in a 7 p.m. game.
