SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Augustana University women's basketball kept battling all night long and eventually came all the way back to defeat the University of Sioux Falls 74-72 in overtime at the Stewart Center on Friday night. Augustana improved to 19-7 overall on the season, including 14-5 in NSIC play while the Cougars dropped to 18-5, 14-5 NSIC.
 
Shelby Selland had a huge second half for the Vikings and finished with a career-high tying 17 points and nine rebounds. Selland finished the night 5 of 15 from the field and hit 7 of 9 free throws.
 
Logan O'Farrell recorded her fourth double-double of the season (eighth career) with 10 points and a career-high 17 rebounds.
 
Sydney Rome added 17 points for the Vikings on 4 of 8 shooting, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range. Rome also added six rebounds and four assists on the night.
 
Augustana finished the game shooting 30.8 percent from the field, including 20.8 percent from 3-piont range. The Vikings had a great night at the free throw line, shooting 73.5 percent from the stripe, hitting 25 of 34.
 
The free throw line made the difference as the Cougars finished 15 of 26 (57.7 percent) from the free throw line. Sam Knecht led USF with 18 points and 19 rebounds.
 
Augustana and USF both couldn't find the right bounce early in the contest, playing to a 6-4 score five-plus minutes into the contest. The two teams were a combined 5 of 20 from the field with 4:25 to play in the first quarter.
 
USF held an 18-14 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Vikings cut the lead to two at 16-14 with just under a minute left in the quarter before the Cougars got a late basket to gain a four-point lead.
 
Rome got the Vikings going in the second quarter, scoring 11 of her 13 first-half points in the second frame. She hit a 3-pointer for the first basket of the quarter that made the score 18-17 and later she hit two straight allowing Augustana to take a 28-25 lead with 4:33 left in the half.
 
USF held a 32-30 lead at the half after shooting 48.3 percent from the field. USF, which hit 15 3-pointers the first time the two teams met earlier this season, was 0 for 5 from behind the arc in the first half on the night.
 
Augustana shot 31.3 percent from the field in the first half, including 30.8 percent from 3-point range. Rome hit three of Augustana four first-half 3-pointers. The Vikings out-rebounded USF 24-19 in the first half and scored seven second-chance points.
 
The Vikings started the second half just 1 of 6 from the field as the Cougars opened up a 42-32 lead with a 10-2 run to start the second half. Augustana didn't go away quietly and began to chip away at the deficit at the free throw line. The Vikings scored eight straight points and hit 6 of 6 free throws to get back within two at 42-40 with 2:33 left in the third.
 
USF stretched its lead back up to six before the Vikings picked up the pressure on the defensive end forcing late turnovers to get back within two. Presley O'Farrell came up with a steal as the Cougars looked to hold for the last shot of the quarter making the score 48-46 with five seconds left. O'Farrell forced another turnover on the inbound pass but the Vikings were unable to get a shot off before time expired.
 
The Cougars held a 56-50 lead with 6:13 remaining in the game when Naomi Rust knocked down a three from the top of the key to get the Vikings within three. Selland tied the game at 56 with 4:50 to play headed to the final media timeout of the night. She missed the free throw out of the timeout but gave the Vikings a 60-59 with 2:48 to go.
 
Selland tied things up for the 12th time of the night, this time at 63 all with 1:16 to play. Augustana had the ball with a chance to win the game as Dave Krauth called a timeout with 9.9 seconds to play. USF forced a turnover and missed a full court heave and the two teams would need extra time to decide the winner.
 
Augustana jumped out to a four-point lead quickly in overtime but the trend of the night continued as USF was able to tie the game for the 13th time with a 3-pointer from Andi Mataloni with 1:26 left in overtime that made the score 70-70.
 
Selland hit a pair of free throws to put Augustana back in front by two at 72-70 with 1:08 remaining in overtime and Lynsey Prosser hit 1 of 2 with 36 seconds left to make the score 73-70. USF got within one with 22 seconds left and Logan O'Farrell had a chance to make it a three-point game at the free throw line but she missed her second shot from the stripe.
 
Augustana held a 74-72 lead and USF's halfcourt heave by Brooke Smith bounced off the back of the rim and the Vikings came out with the overtime victory over the Cougars to make a move in the NSIC South Division standings. The Vikings are tied with USF for second in the NSIC South Division.  
 
Augustana returns to action tomorrow night taking on Southwest Minnesota State at 5 p.m. in Marshall, Minnesota.