SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The Augustana women's basketball team dropped a Saturday night contest, 76-66, to the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs on Saturday night inside the Sanford Pentagon. 

The Vikings move to 1-8 overall and 1-6 in the NSIC, while the Mustangs advance to 6-6, 5-2.

Michaela Jewett scored a team-high 19 points while dishing a career-high seven assists. Lauren Sees added 13 points, and Jennifer Aadland scored 11 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and tallied four assists.

The Vikings caught fire in the first quarter, scoring eight of the first ten points, including a pair of threes from Jewett. The next 10 points were scored within 53 seconds, with each team making a jumper and a three-pointer. 

A Kenzie Rensch three-pointer and Payton Hardy free throws were a part of a 5-0 run that gave the Vikings a double digit lead at 18-7 with 1:28 left in the quarter. Each team made a bucket to close out the half, bringing the game to a 20-9 score into the second quarter. 

After four SMSU points, AU used an Aby Phipps layup, Jewett three, and Sees layup to take their largest lead of the night at 27-13 with 6:36 left in the half. The Vikings lead would be 31-18 after an Izzy Moore layup with 4:59 left in the half, but the Mustangs charged back. 

A 9-0 SMSU run cut its deficit to four before an Aadland jumper ended the run and gave the Vikings a 33-27 lead with just under two minutes to play. A Sees layup grew the lead to eight, but the Mustangs closed the first half scoring with a layup to bring its deficit to 35-29 at the break. 

The Mustang momentum carried into the third quarter as they knocked down a pair of threes in the first minute to tie the score at 35-35. They held a three point lead before a Sees layup brought the Vikings within 41-40 with 5:34 to play in the quarter. 

From there, SMSU inched further ahead, going on an 11-6 run to close the quarter and take a 52-46 lead into the fourth.

Sees opened the fourth quarter scoring with a layup to trail by four, but a 9-2 run gave the Mustangs a 61-50 lead with 6:02 remaining. Jewett tried to push a comeback for the Vikings, scoring eight consecutive AU points during a 10-5 stretch to bring AU within six at 66-60 with 2:40 to go. 

The Mustangs closed the game from there, scoring 10 of the final 16 points to bring the game to its final score. 

The Vikings head to Maryville, Mo., for a Tuesday matinee against Northwest Missouri State.