ROCK ISLAND, Ill.- UW-Oshkosh men's basketball used its fifth 80-point performance to defeat Augustana College (Ill.) at the Vikings' Roy J. Carver Center on Sunday (Nov. 30). Three Titans scored double-digit points to fuel the 84-77 victory.
 
The Titans (5-1), ranked 17th in NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com, moved to 5-7 against the Vikings (3-3) since 1985-86, including each of the last five contests dating back to the 2017-18 season.
 
Oshkosh shot 53.7 percent (29-of-54) from the field, 43.8 percent (14-of-32) from three, and 80 percent (12-of-15) from the line, holding advantages in each shooting category. The Titans also doubled the Viking's 10 second chance points and led 30-24 in rebounds while recording 17 assists, three blocks, and seven steals on 12 Augustana turnovers. They earned 28 points in the paint, 11 off turnovers, eight on fast breaks, and 29 off the bench.
 
Augustana scored the first points of the game, but the Titans came back with an 8-2 run to swap the lead, never relinquishing the edge. Jonah Rindfleisch (Milwaukee/Wisconsin Lutheran) tied the score at 2-2 with a tip-in layup before Oskar Kangas (Iron Mountain, Mich./Iron Mountain) and Carter Thomas (Neenah/Neenah) scored back-to-back threes to create the 8-4 lead.
 
Neither team scored more than twice in a row through the hallway mark of the first half, however Nate Nazos (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) and Thomas combined for six points between 12:34 and 12:15 to push the deficit to nine points before the Vikings fought back to a 4-point hole with a five-point run.
 
A Logan Rindfleisch (Milwaukee/Wisconsin Lutheran) three, a Brandon Beck (Rockton, Ill./Hillcrest Prep (Ariz.)) layup, and a Joey LaChapell (Appleton/Appleton East) jump shot brought the score to 34-24 with 4:20 left in the half and the Rindfleisch brothers tallied five free throws in the last 55 seconds to make the score 50-35 after 20 minutes.
 
LaChapell opened the second half by converting a shot from beyond the arc at 19:33 before an 8-0 tear for the Vikings decreased the gap to 53-43. Oshkosh slowly built up its lead over the following few minutes and led by a game-high 20 points twice on a Logan Rindfleisch (Milwaukee/Wisconsin Lutheran) free throw and a Kangas jumper in the paint.
 
Augustana broke the 10-point barrier on four consecutive points with three minutes left on the clock and stuck around with a 5-0 spurt after Beck made the score 78-67 at 3:00, never allowing Oshkosh to increase the lead to double digits. The Titans shot six free throws in the last minute of the game, making four total with two each from LaChapell and Beck.
 
Beck scored a game-high 20 points, his second consecutive game with at least 20 points, on 8-of-14 from the field with a three and 3-of-4 from the line. The sophomore forward added team-bests of six rebounds (two offensive), two blocks and two steals, and registered an assist.
 
LaChapell followed with 15 points by going 5-of-9 from the field, including 3-of-7 from three, and 2-of-3 on free throws. He also recorded three rebounds, a team-high three assists, and was the second Titan with two steals. Matt Imig (Ashwaubenon/Ashwaubenon) also dished out three assists.
 
Oshkosh's third double-digit scorer was reserve Oskar Kangas (Iron Mountain, Mich./Iron Mountain), who shot 5-of-7 from the field and 2-of-4 from three for 12 points.
 
The Titans will host Benedictine University (Ill.) (2-3, 1-0 NACC) at Kolf Sports Center for their next game on Wednesday (Dec. 3). Oshkosh is 2-1 against the Eagles since the 1985-86 season, winning the last matchup, 74-68, at home on November 15, 2017.