SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The regular season concludes for the Augustana women's basketball team with seeding on the line. The Vikings travel the two blocks from the AU campus to Sioux Falls Friday then treks to Marshall, Minnesota, for the regular-season finale at Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday.
 
The Games
USF has claimed the top-seed in the NSIC South Division while the Vikings, currently in a tie for third place, can climb into the second slot with a weekend sweep and help with losses from Winona State.
 
Friday's game at rival USF is slated for 5:30 p.m. while Saturday's contest with the Mustangs is scheduled for 4 p.m.
 
The Cougars
Ranked No. 16 in NCAA Division II, Sioux Falls had a four-game winning streak snapped in a 73-59 loss at Winona State last weekend. The Cougars bounced back to thump Upper Iowa 72-51 the next night thanks to a pair of 19-point performances from Kaely Hummel and Mariah Szymanski. Hummel is the Cougars' leading scorer at 17.2 points per game while Szymanski tallies 12 points per outing. They are joined in double-figure scoring by Anna Goodhope and her 10.5 points per game. USF tallies 75.9 points per game while giving up 63.4.
 
Series: Augustana leads 31-12
 
The Mustangs
The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team is 14-11 overall and 9-11 in NSIC action after winning four of its last five games and eight of 11 since mid-January. The Mustangs topped Upper Iowa 82-64 last week Friday before falling 86-63 at Winona State. SMSU is led by Meleah Reinhart and her 14.7 points per game while Jenna Borchers tallies 12.9 points per outing. Abuk Akoi tallies 8.3 rebounds per game, a figure that is tied for first in the NSIC.
 
Series: Augustana leads 26-11
 
The Vikings
Augustana holds an 11-9 record in NSIC action, one game behind second place Winona State. Overall, AU is 15-9 and has won four of its last six games. Two of those wins came this past weekend as the Vikings topped Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul. The win over MSU was a bounce-back victory after falling by just one point in Mankato earlier this year.
 
Senior Abby Hora continues to be the Vikings' active leading scorer at 12.6 points per game. On Senior Day on Saturday, she went off for a career-best 27 points, topping the 23 points she scored the week before.
 
Junior Hannah Mitby continues her breakout season as she averaged 19 points over the two Viking victories last weekend while shooting 45.5 percent from the field. She also added 4.5 rebounds, three steals and 2.5 assists per game.
 
One Last Thing
Senior Hana Beyer and Hora are the co-leaders in the NSIC with 2.1 steals per game. They lead a Viking team that tops the NSIC at 11 steals per game, a mark that is 25^th in NCAA Division II.