MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Down by 12 points four minutes into the second half, the Gustavus men’s basketball team went on a 17-4 run to take the lead en route to winning 64-62 at Augsburg University Wednesday evening at Si Melby Hall.
The Gusties, off to a 3-0 start in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, improve their overall record to 5-2 on the season while handing Augsburg its first loss of the year and matching their win total from last season.
Augsburg shot 64.3 percent from the field in the first half, compared to a 56.0 percent mark from the Gusties. The Auggies claimed a 7-6 lead three minutes into the game and maintained the lead throughout the first half, taking a 41-35 lead into the intermission.
Gustavus limited the Auggies to a 30.4 field goal percentage in the second half, out-rebounding them 19-17 as well. 12 unanswered points gave the visitors a 54-53 lead with 7:31 remaining in the game. Augsburg then regained a lead prior to Riley Sharbono (Jr., Marshall, Minn.) converting two free throws to give the Gusties a 61-60 lead. Kelsey Thomas (Sr., Wiesbaden, Germany) forced an Auggie turnover with 10 seconds remaining, followed by another two points from the charity stripe from Sharbono, sealing the Gustavus victory.
“We made shots,” Head Coach Mark Hanson spoke of the Gustie’s second half surge. “I think Vannis Smith (So., Crystal Lake, Ill.) took some really good shots and our offense created good shots. If not more important was that our defense was getting stops that allowed our offense to feel comfortable.”
Sharbono led Gustavus with 22 points and eight rebounds, shooting 5-for-11 from the field, 3-7 from beyond the arc, and tied a season-high going 9-11 from the free throw line. Smith followed with a season-high 15-point performance, completing a team-high seven field goals.
“Our demeanor appeared to be fairly workmanlike,” Hanson commented. “We are playing with a sense of understanding of what we’re trying to do on both ends of the floor. We have done a nice job defending, I think that comes from the effort they have put in at practice. I’m pleased with our present progress, but that needs to continue, there is still a lot of season.”
The Black and Gold return to Gus Young Court Saturday afternoon, hosting Hamline University at 1 p.m.