SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The No. 24 Augustana women's basketball team is set to travel to Duluth, Minnesota, to face No. 3 seed Missouri Southern in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday. The game is set for a noon tip-off in Romano Gymnasium.
Complete action can be followed at GoAugie.com/Live and the GoAugie app. The app can be downloaded in the app store or Google Play.
Scouting the Lions
Missouri Southern is 27-6 on the year and is coming off a Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Championship. The Lions are led in scoring by Lacy Stokes who averages 16.6 points per game. Lacy Stokes also leads Missouri Southern in steals and assists averaging 5.2 assists and 2.5 steals per game. Madi Stokes leads the Lions in rebounds averaging 8.7 per game. In the MIAA postseason awards, Lacy Stokes earned First Team All-MIAA while Madi Stokes and two others received All-MIAA honors.
The Vikings
Augustana is the No. 6 seed entering the Central Region, holding a 25-5 overall record.
The NSIC South Division Player of the Year, Aislinn Duffy, continues to lead the Vikings in scoring, rebounds, and assists. She averages 17 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. Duffy tallied her 24th career double-double in the quarterfinals of the NSIC Tournament in a win against Northern State. This was her 12th double-double this season with 27 points and 18 rebounds in the contest. She ties for first place in the NSIC in double-doubles this season. Duffy also ranks top-3 in 10 different categories within the NSIC.
Kenzie Rensch has staked her claim in the steals category, leading the NSIC in total steals with 87 so far this season. Rensch has remained steady in the top-3 rankings within the NSIC for the entire season. She also has held her spot in the top-3 rankings in the steals per game. Rensch currently is second in the NSIC in steals per game with 2.90.
Augustana ranks 7th in the nation and leads the NSIC in free throw percentage with a team average of 78.6 percent. Duffy leads the category individually with 87.5 percent. Lauren Sees leads the Vikings in free throw attempts and free throw makes. She has made 95 of her 121 attempts at the line this season. Sees, previously named First Team All-NSIC, has been second in command in multiple categories this season. She is second on the squad in scoring and assists, averaging 15.1 points and 2.7 assists per game.
One Last Thing
Augustana is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018 when the Vikings hosted the regional in Sioux Falls. The Vikings advanced to the Sweet 16 that year behind the dominance of Logan and Presley O'Farrell, Lynsey Prosser, Paige Peterson and Shelby Selland. Augustana is 12-14 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
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