Josh Sarl, sports editor

On Friday, Nov. 7, the Augsburg men’s basketball team secured a well-deserved win in their opening game of the season, holding Martin Luther College to a 91-89 scoreline. The two sides were evenly matched throughout the majority of the game, with Augsburg scoring 45 points in the first half and Martin Luther scoring 42. Late into the second half, Martin Luther hit 1-for-2 from the free throw line, taking an 89-87 lead with 16 seconds left in the game. JJ Semanko, in his first-year debut, went 1-for-2 after a foul, quickly collecting his own rebound and hitting a three-pointer to edge the Auggies over the line. Semanko’s graceful three-pointer contributed to the 10-1 point margin that the Auggies just managed to gain in the last 46 seconds of the game.

I spoke with the head coach, Aaron Griess, to gauge his thoughts on the win and how he thinks the team is shaping up ahead of the conference season. Griess says that he was “happy with the win” and that it gave him a chance to evaluate the team’s strengths and also pick apart the “things to clean up.” With the game turning into a “dogfight”, certainly in the late stages of the second half, the persistence from Martin Luther, playing with a home court advantage, provided a tense atmosphere for the Auggies to deal with. “Our guys just want to win,” said Griess, “They put themselves in a tough position and found a way to get it back. These guys play until the last minute.” As guard JJ Semanko topped the Augsburg scorecard with 24 points, also showing a moment of individual brilliance to win the game, I asked Griess about Semanko’s involvement in the team and whether he believes the first-year is shaping up to be a standout player. “Yes. He’s young; he’s a [first-year], but he’s a very good player for us. A very hard worker, smart player and a great teammate.” Other standout players included Elias Batala, who scored 15 points, and Keenan Rodriguez, with 14, four of which were three-pointers.

Next up, the Auggies will play an away game against Marian University on Nov. 18. I asked Griess how the team was feeling ahead of this test and for the season in general. “We just need to take it one game at a time. The season is a rollercoaster; there will be moments of success and moments of loss. We need to stay level-headed.” After managing to snatch a well-fought victory away from home, the Friday night atmosphere at the Si Melby fortress will be massive. “It would help us out a ton. If it’s a good environment, it’ll give us a home court advantage.” I am excited to see what this team can achieve this season, and I urge all Augsburg students to get behind them.