SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The 2022-23 Augustana women's basketball season started with an upset victory over the No. 3 team in the country. Behind a career-high 23 points
Michaela Jewett, the Vikings toppled Fort Hays State, 62-59, Friday night at the Courtyard Sioux Falls Tip-Off Classic.
The contest had one lead change as Augustana trailed for the first three quarters but on the first basket of the fourth quarter, the Vikings tied the game, then took the lead on back-to-back possessions.
Jennifer Aadland sank a jump shot from just outside the paint to knot the game at 41-all. Then,
Johanna Miller blocked a Tiger layup attempt into the hands of
Lauren Sees. The junior went from one end of the floor to the other and made the layup while getting fouled for an old-fashioned 3-point play. The 44-41 lead was the first of the game for AU, and although the score would tie at 46-46, Augustana would not trail again.
That tie would break on a Jewett 3-point basket with 5:31 in the game. The long-range basket provided the separation where the two squads then traded baskets until another Jewett three gave AU the 59-54 lead with 2:52 remaining.
Sees then made a steal on the ensuing Tiger possession and after an Augustana timeout, Jewett was set up for a jumper just outside the paint.
Despite a late 3-point basket by Fort Hays State with .01 of a second on the clock, the Vikings prevailed 62-59 to give head coach
Dave Krauth a win on the opening night of his final season.
After Jewetts 23 points, including 5-of-10 on 3-point attempts, Sees tallied 14 points and Aadland 10 points. Miller, making her first-career start, recorded a career-best eight rebounds.
After a slow start where Augustana shot just 25 percent from the field, the Vikings finished the game shooting 38.3 percent including a blistering 52.9 percent in the fourth quarter. For the game from deep, AU was 43.5 percent on 10-of-23 shooting with five of those makes from the hands of Jewett.
In contrast, Fort Hays State shot 35.7 percent from the field for the game and made eight 3-point baskets.
The Vikings return to action Saturday with a 1:30 p.m. contest against Missouri Western. The contest is the second of two games for AU at the Courtyard Sioux Falls Tip-Off Classic.
--GoAugie.com--
