SAINT PAUL, MINN.—Festivities were aplenty for the Hamline University men's basketball team's Saturday-afternoon MIAC bout against Augsburg at Hutton Arena. Legendary Pipers head coach Joe Hutton Sr. (1930-1965), who was inducted into the 2023 Small College Basketball Hall of Fame, was honored in a 70-49 drubbing of Augsburg.
Hamline improves to 6-6, 4-3 MIAC, while Augsburg falls to 4-9, 2-6 MIAC.
Hamline 70, Augsburg 49
Nine of the game's 12 lead changes occurred in the opening half, where the Auggies took a 31-28 lead before the Pipers' defense controlled the final 20:00 of play. Augsburg was held to a dismal .200 (5-of-25) shooting mark in the second half. Hamline, who held Augsburg to just one field goal over the final 9:00 of play, dominated the second half by a 42-18 margin en route to a 70-49 victory.
The Pipers registered a season-high 19 assists, as well as 12 steals and five blocks as a team. Austin Holt notched a game-high seven assists, nine rebounds and 19 points. Sam Bradley came off the bench with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting and a 2-of-3 clip from the three-point line. Sam Hoffman, Mick Wherley, and Bradley Cimperman each had eight points while Brendan Ebel led the way with four steals.
Hamline's defense held the opposition to a season-low .308 (16-of-52) field goal percentage. Nine different Pipers recorded a point.
Ali Axmed led Augsburg with nine points off the bench.
Hamline will host St. Scholastica on Wednesday, January 10 at 7 p.m.
