Box Score
Following a late-game win the night before, the Augustana women's basketball team opened an early double-digit lead and cruised by Northern State 79-57 Saturday night in Aberdeen, S.D.
The Vikings improved to 20-5 on the season and 14-4 in the NSIC, while Northern State fell to 13-12 and 9-9 in the league.
Augie shot better behind the three-point arc (46.4 percent, 13-of-28) than it did inside (45.2 percent, 14-of-31). Nine of Augie's 13 first-half baskets were three-pointers.
The Viking shots were falling right off of the bus. Three-pointers by
Molly Hayes and
Alex Feeney gave Augie the early 6-0 lead 2:49 into the game, and the Vikings did not relinquish it. Northern State cut the lead to one at 8-7 when Krista Rabenberg scored at the 14:31 mark, but the Vikings countered with a 26-8 run over the next 10 minutes that was capped by Hayes' old-fashioned three-point play.
Coming off a 19-point halftime deficit, Northern State cut the lead to 40-25 at the 19:01 mark on Mikayla Barondeau's layup, but again, the Vikings caught fire, and a three-pointer by Hayes pushed the Augustana advantage to 54-29 with 14:16 to play. The Vikings kept the cushion between 18 and 25 the remainder of the game and wrapped up its sixth road win of the season.
Five Augie players scored in double figures. Hayes led all scorers with 21 points, her fourth 20+ point scoring effort this season.
Teri VerSteeg poured in 14 off the bench, including a game-high 4 three-pointers and grabbed 6 rebounds. Feeney and
Megan Doyle scored 11, while
Lydia Nelson tallied 10.
Rabenberg led Northern State with 14, and Jodi Reinschmidt recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Next up for the Vikings is their final regular season road contest. On Wednesday, February 24, Augie travels to Mankato, Minn., to face the Minnesota State Mavericks. The game is scheduled to tip at 6 p.m.
