SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Augustana women's basketball (0-5 overall, 0-1 NSIC) will face off against Hastings College for the first time in program history with a 2 p.m. tilt against the Broncos on Wednesday.
 
Complete action can be followed on GoAugie.com/Live and the GoAugie app, presented by The Original Pancake House. The app can be downloaded in the App Store or Google Play.
 
THE BRONCOS
Hastings is 3-1 to start the 2024-25 season following an 80-67 loss to Briar Cliff over the weekend. The Broncos have also scored convincing wins over fellow NAIA foes Bethel (KS), Bellevue (NE) and Waldorf to start the season.
 
Macy Bryant leads the Broncos with an average of 13.5 points/game while freshman McKenna Yates and Mariyah Avila follow closely behind in double figures with 12.0 and 10.5 points/game, respectively. Rachel Goodon is adding in an average of 7.8 rebounds/game and 1.8 blocks/game for the team picked 8^th in the GPAC Preseason Poll.
 
THE VIKINGS
Augustana looks to grab its first win of the season following an 0-5 start, with a recent loss to Sioux Falls last Thursday.  
 
Hannah Burg currently leads Augustana in scoring with an average of 13.2 points/game while Paige Grant follows closely behind at 10.3 points/game. Payton Hardy leads in rebounding with an average of 7.6 per game while Burg sits with 4.4 assists per game.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Augustana will face off against Hastings for the first-time in program history. Head coach Jina (Johansen) Douglas is a familiar face for the Vikings, though, as she served on the women's basketball coaching staff for the 2007-08 season.   
 
LAST TIME OUT
Augustana fell to Sioux Falls, 75-59, in the opening game of NSIC play across town at the Stewart Center. Hannah Burg and Brinlee McRae each scored 15 points apiece as McRae scored hers off of 5-of-8 shooting from behind the arc and Burg went a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line.
 
Payton Hardy and Burg each pulled down seven rebounds as Uzor Uchidiuno logged two blocks. The Vikings out-shot their opponent from the field at 38.5% compared to 36.2% while also going 47.8% from the 3-point line compared to the Cougars' 29.6%.
 
DOUBLE THE DOUBLE DIGITS
Hannah Burg and Paige Grant are both currently averaging double figures in scoring, with Burg leading at 13.2 points/game and Grant averaging 10.3 points/game.
 
EVERYONE EATS
All active members of the 2024-25 squad have appeared in at least one game, seen time on the court and made a statistical impact through four games this season
 
BALLIN' BURG
The NSIC preseason poll deemed Hannah Burg as the Vikings' Player to Watch in 2024-25. The senior from Colorado Springs, Colo., averaged 16.7 minutes per game with the Lions in the 2023-24 season for 3.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists a game.
 
"Hannah is a dynamic guard who is always under control," said Vogel. "She has been part of successful teams in the past so she knows what it takes to win. Hannah is also an unbelievable teammate who keeps our team together."
 
VOGEL'S A VIKING
Augustana women's basketball head coach Nate Vogel steps into his first year at the helm of the Vikings program after spending five seasons as the head coach at Texas A&M International. In the 2023-24 season, the Dustdevils collected a program-best record of 25-7 and garnered their first ever national ranking, reaching No. 17 in the country.
 
NEW FACES, NEW PLACES
With five returning letterwinners and 10 newcomers on the Augustana roster, AU will have quite the new look alongside first-year head coach Nate Vogel. Leading the returners are CJ Adamson, who appeared in 25 games and averaged 3.0 points and 1.3 rebounds last season, and Katie Leisen, who averaged 2.2 points and 2.1 rebounds.
 
Fresh faces joining the Vikings include Olivia Hayenga—the two-time NJCAA DIII National Player of the Year—and Uzor Uchidiuno—a graduate transfer from Felician who played 90 games and averaged 5.2 points and 4.7 rebounds in 18.7 minute per game.
 
PRESEASON PLACEMENT
The Augustana women's basketball team was selected to finish 11^th in the 2024-25 NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll, finishing with 70 points.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Augustana will host its first NSIC weekend of the season at the Sanford Pentagon with a Friday, Dec. 6 game against Winona State at 5:30 p.m. and a 3:30 p.m. contest on Saturday, Dec. 7 against Minnesota State.