BOX SCORE
FAYETTE, Iowa – Powered by some terrific defense, Augustana turned in one of its most impressive defensive outings of the year in a 61-44 victory at Upper Iowa on Friday night. The win improved the Vikings' record to 19-9 (13-8 NSIC), while the Peacocks fell to 7-18 (5-16 NSIC).
Augustana continues to peak at the right time of year, winning its eighth game in the last nine with the victory.
Shaunteva Ashley led the Vikings with another all-around performance, finishing with 15 points, six rebounds, and six assists in the game.
Nicole Kerkhoff found her offensive rhythm with a 15 points on 6 of 10 shooting. The Morgan, Minn. also pulled down eight rebounds.
Sophie Kenney added 12 points in 26 minutes of action for Augustana.
Lauren Buck led UIU with 12 points and 15 rebounds, her NSIC-leading 15th double-double this year.
Lindsay Carroll netted a team-high 13 points for Upper Iowa.
Back-to-back 3s by Kenney got the Vikings out to a 10-0 start to open the game, forcing the Peacocks to take an early timeout and regroup. UIU finally got itself on the board after a 3-pointer by Ashley Rosenstiel snapped the opening cold streak.
Upper Iowa fought back coming out of the under-15 media timeout with an 8-3 run of its own to make it a two-point game with just under 10 minutes remaining in the first half. The Peacocks' comeback was due in part to its ability to get good looks on the offensive end and convert their shots.
A 3 by Laura TerHawk gave UIU its first lead of the contest at 18-15 at the 7:02 mark. It was Upper Iowa's second made 3 of the opening half.
Augustana finally ended an 11-minutes field-goal drought after a corner 3 from
Presley O'Farrell gave them back the lead with a little over four minutes to go until the half. The made 3 came after 11 straight misses by the Vikings, one of its colder shooting stretches this year.
Despite the cold-shooting spell, Augustana still kept control of the half, using some aggressive defense to disrupt the Peacocks and force them into tough shots and turnovers resulting in a 12-0 run in the final 6:19 to close out the half with a 27-18 lead.
Neither team really light it up in the first 20 minutes, with both squads finishing under 30 percent shooting.
Ashley moved into fourth place on the all-time career list with the opening layup of the second half to give her eight points on the evening. The basket gave the Vikings their first double-digit of the game since a 10-0 run at the start.
Augustana pushed its lead to 17 after Kerkhoff's layup with 11:42 left in the second half. The basket gave the junior her 13th point of the game, her most since a 17-point effort at Mary back on Jan. 30.
The stellar defensive effort continued for the Vikings and proved to be too much for UIU to overcome, never letting Upper Iowa get any closer than 12 points to rest of the way, winning 61-44.
News & notes· The 44 points allowed were a new season low for Augustana.
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Logan O'Farrell's four blocks tied her season high.
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Paige Peterson 10 rebounds tied a season high.
· The Peacocks' 24.6 shooting percentage was a new season low by an opponent in a game this season against the Vikings.
Getting hot at the right timeAugustana continues to play its best basketball at the right time of the year. Tonight, it was the defense that really stood out with it's ability to consistently disrupt UIU's offensive flow, resulting in lots of turnovers and tough shots for UIU.
Up nextThe Vikings close out the regular season on Saturday with a game at Winona State. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.
