SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The Augustana women's basketball team saw a fourth quarter comeback fall short, dropping a 66-60 contest to Minot State on Thursday night in the Sanford Pentagon. 

The Vikings fall to 5-13 overall and 4-10 in the NSIC, while The Beavers jump to 7-15 overall, 4-9 in the NSIC. 

Aby Phipps scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds while adding four assists and four steals to lead AU. Michaela Jewett tallied 12 points and five rebounds, and Lauren Sees added 12 points. Jennifer Aadland grabbed a game-high nine rebounds while scoring eight points. Kenzie Rensch tied for the team-lead with four steals. 

The Beavers scored the first nine points in the game before a Rensch 3-pointer started a 7-0 run that got the Vikings back within 9-7 with 5:24 left in the first quarter. They would inch within 11-10 after a CJ Adamson 3, but an 8-2 run from the Beavers grew their lead to 19-12 into the second quarter. 

In the second quarter, MISU outscored AU 16-8 to take a 35-20 halftime lead. Phipps scored five of the eight points for AU, while Aadland knocked down a layup and Katie Leisen made a free throw to round out the Viking scoring. 

After the Beavers extended its lead to 38-22 early in the third quarter, AU matched back. The Vikings outscored MISU 10-4, as five Jewett points and four Phipps points led the charge and brought AU within 42-32 with 5:31 left in the third quarter. 

The Beavers were able to grow their lead to 12 late in the quarter before a Jewett layup closed the scoring for the quarter, bringing the Vikings within 49-39 into the fourth. 

With MISU leading 53-41, The Vikings mounted a 9-2 comeback to bring the game within two possessions at 55-50 with 5:16 in the game. AU had four different scorers contribute to the cause, with the run punctuated by a corner 3-pointer from Jewett. 

Following the run, the Beavers made a pair of threes to regain a double-digit lead at 61-50. The Vikings absorbed the punch and countered with an Aadland 3-pointer and two Sees layups to bring their deficit to four at 61-57 with 1:45 left. 

After Jewett cleaned the offensive boards, Sees delivered another clutch bucket with a 3-pointer to bring AU within 61-60 with 47 seconds remaining. That would end the Viking scoring, as the Beavers scored the final five points to close the game. 

The Vikings return to the floor next Friday, Feb. 2, at 5:30 p.m., hosting Minnesota Duluth inside the Sanford Pentagon.