BOX SCORE
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - No. 16 Augustana resumed Nothern Sun Intercollegiate Conference women's basketball in the new year Monday night with an 81-67 victory over St. Cloud State in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Augustana improves to 12-2 (5-2 NSIC), while SCSU drops to 6-4 (3-3 NSIC).
Liz Helsper made 5 of 5 3-pointers in the contest for the Vikings to tie a career high. The 3-pointers accounted for all of Helsper's scoring as she finished with 15 points.
Molly Hayes recorded her second double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 assists.
Alex Feeney led all scorers with 19 points, finishing 10 of 11 from the free-throw line.
Jennifer Dowd's 15 points paced the Huskies.
The Vikings bounced back from a cold 36.7 percent shooting performance in the first half and shot 50 percent from the floor in the second half. Augustana finished 43.8 percent from the field in the win.
Helsper hit Augustana's only two 3-pointers in the opening half. Her first 3-pointer came at 13:44 to knot the score at seven.
From there Augustana used the next five minutes to build a double-figure lead. Feeney, who had 11 first-half points, nailed a jumper at 8:37 to give the Vikings a 21-11 lead.
The Huskies put together a 9-2 run with four minutes left in the half, allowing them to cut the deficit to three points with 2:26 left before the break.
The Vikings answered with six straight points and were owners of a six-point lead at the half.
Augustana continued to build on its lead in the second half, taking a 12-point advantage at 16:19 when Board hit a 3-pointer.
In a three-minute span, the Vikings went on a 11-0 run to lead by 23 with just more than five minutes left in the game.
The Viking lead maxed at 25.
Augustana scored 19 points off the Huskies' 17 turnovers.
SCSU outrebounded Augustana 44-38.
The Vikings return to action tomorrow at 6:05 p.m. against Concordia University, St. Paul. The game will be broadcast regionally by Midco Sports Network.
