ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Freshman point guard Jack McDonald (Geneva HS, Geneva, Ill.) had game highs of 23 points and four assists in just 20 minutes on the court Thursday, as Augustana rolled to a 105-63 win over MacMurray at Carver Center. The 23rd-ranked Vikings improved to 6-2 on the season, while the Highlanders fell to 3-4.
 
Logan Dorethy's bucket in the lane at 16:18 of the first half gave MacMurray its second lead, and last of the night, at 7-6. Austin Elledge (Highland HS, Highland, Ill.) answered with a three-pointer and the hosts had the lead for good.
 
An Elledge conventional three-point play with 11:10 left in the first half pushed the margin to double digits (23-12) for the first time and after Roman Youngblut (Assumption HS, Davenport, Iowa) made it 31-21 with the front end of a bonus opportunity at the 8:13 mark, it stayed there. The last of three straight McDonald field goals (including a three-pointer) made it 43-23 with 6:06 to play before halftime and the spread reached 32 before the Highlanders scored five points in the final seven seconds to trail 59-32 at the break.
 
Augustana shot .622 (23-37) from the field in the opening 20 minutes as Elledge (13), McDonald (12) and Youngblut (10) all reached double figures.
 
MacMurray never got closer than 26 points, as the Vikings slowly extended the lead throughout the second half. Luke Johnson (Longmont HS, Longmont, Colo.) scored on a baseline drive with 4:42 to play, pushing the margin past 40 at 90-49 and Augustana hit the century mark on his three-pointer from the left wing with 1:43 remaining. Two Jarrett Tribble (Homewood-Flossmoor HS, Homewood, Ill.) free throws accounted for the final.
 
McDonald (23), Youngblut (12) and Johnson (11) all finished with career scoring highs, while Elledge joined them in double figures with 15. Pierson Wofford (Springfield Lutheran HS, Springfield, Ill.), Jacob Pauley (Geneseo HS, Geneseo, Ill.), Justin Bottorff (Quincy Notre Dame HS, Quincy, Ill.) and freshman Daniel Carr (Regis Jesuit HS, Highlands Ranch, Colo.) each added seven. Youngblut snared a game-high seven boards, one more than Donovan Ferguson (Downers Grove South HS, Darien, Ill.). Wofford and Pauley each had three steals and Bottorff blocked two shots.
 
MacMurray's Dorethy scored 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting in 21 minutes before fouling out.
 
The Vikings finished the night 39 of 67 (.582) from the field, 11 of 26 (.423) from three-point range and 16 of 22 (.727) from the free throw line. The Highlanders shot .386 (22-57) from the floor, .353 (6-17) from beyond the arc and .722 (13-18) from the foul line. Augustana won the battle of the boards by a 39-32 margin and committed just 12 turnovers to 22 for the visitors.
 
Coach Grey Giovanine's crew will finish off a stretch of eight home games in nine outings to start the season when Illinois Wesleyan comes calling on Sunday, December 15 for a 3:00 p.m. tip.