They just keep on rolling.
Millikin defended home against a CCIW opponent in Augustana in a heated game, and the Big Blue walked away with another win, 85-77.
“I mean, it’s a huge win. Nothing personal, but I don’t like Augustana at all, so it’s always good to beat them,” Junior Lane Thomann said.
The Big Blue came off a loss on the road to North Park and were looking to right some of those wrongs against Augustana, including their overall shooting performance. Millikin shot 48% from three and 51% from the field today, highlighted by big games from Nate Straughter, Ian Winkler, and Lane Thomann, who combined to make 12 of those threes.
“It all comes back to trust, trust what we’re doing every day. If our shot doesn’t fall, for example, at North Park on the road, it doesn’t matter. Just keep taking the same shots next game,” Winkler said.
The big three of Straughter, Winkler, and Thomann combined for 67 total points of offense and carried the offensive workload in this game. However, the depth of the bench came out and assisted in other important ways.
“I think the whole team knows that they are going to give us the brunt of the offensive work, and that’s a good thing that the whole unit knows everybody’s roles, but at the same time, there were some other guys who came in big,” Head Coach Kramer Soderberg said.
This was a game that saw many heated exchanges, with two technical fouls issued to the Big Blue. The team, however, knows that these types of games are helpful and will make a significant impact down the stretch.
“It’s my favorite game. I’m a competitor. I love when other teams bring that edge; it makes me want to play harder, so being able to get that win is, of course, our ultimate goal. But, [there’s] just something about talking stuff to somebody and proving it to them,” Straughter said.
Millikin also held up on the defensive end, forcing many turnovers. They grabbed four blocks and 10 steals as a team, with sophomore Chris Ketchum leading with three steals and playing elite defense off the bench as the sixth man.
The team takes another win in the CCIW and is undefeated at home this season. They are aware, however, that the season is still long, so they aim not to fall into the hype.
“It’s a daily thing. We don’t get too far ahead of ourselves, we don’t look to the past too much, we just kind of move on,” Soderberg said.
Millikin also had a huge fan section in support once again, with not only many fans and family, but also other Big Blue teams.
“It feels amazing. We couldn’t ask for a better student section or Women’s Basketball team. It feels great to have their support alongside us. It’s a good relationship going,” Straughter said.
Millikin moves to 8-2 on the season and 2-1 in conference. Their next game is against Greenville University at home on Friday, December 19th, at 7:00 PM. The team looks to continue its season for the history books.
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