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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Double-figure scoring outings from five players keyed an 85-54 Augustana victory over Southwest Minnesota State in both teams' Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference openers Friday evening in Sioux Falls.
Augustana improves to 4-1 (1-0 NSIC), while SMSU falls to 1-4 (0-1 NSIC).
Faith Tinklenberg led the Vikings with 16 points.
Emily Schulte recorded 13 points and seven rebounds, while
Shaunteva Ashley had 12 points.
Alex Feeney and
Lydia Nelson also reached double-digit scoring for the Vikings with 11 points each.
The Vikings forced 23 SMSU turnovers and blocked seven shots.
Augustana started slow as SMSU began the first half on a 10-0 run before Tinklenberg made a layup to put the Vikings on the scoreboard nearly four minutes into the contest.
At 15:16, Augustana trailed 15-6, but the Vikings used the next seven minutes to fight back with an 11-2 run of their own to tie the score at 17-17. Nelson led the Vikings in the run with four points.
Tinklenberg drilled a 3-pointer at 5:33 to give Augustana a 22-21 lead that the Vikings held onto the rest of the game.
In the last five minutes before the break, the Vikings went 7 of 9 from the field to end the half shooting 45.2 percent for a 36-27 lead.
Augustana didn't slow down in the second half, edging a 62-33 advantage after a 26-6 run that lasted until 8:34 remained in the game.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Tinklenberg gave Augustana a 33-point lead, 68-35, its largest of the evening at 7:01.
The Vikings allowed SMSU to make just 9 of 23 (39.1 percent) from the field in the final half, including 0-3 from 3-point range. Augustana was 8 of 17 (47.1 percent) from behind the arc and 14 of 33 (42.4 percent) from the field in the second half.
Augustana finished the game scoring 30 points off turnovers.
Abby Kenealy had 18 points and seven rebounds to lead SMSU.
The Vikings stay at home tomorrow, hosting Minnesota State at 4:05 p.m.
