DULUTH, Minn. – Augustana women's basketball dropped a conference road game against Minnesota Duluth on Friday, falling 61-48 inside Romano Gymnasium.
 
The Vikings fall to 1-8 overall and 0-4 in conference play while the Bulldogs improve to 3-6 overall and 1-3 in the NSIC.
 
Olivia Hayenga led scoring for AU with 15 points, including a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line as Hannah Burg added in eight points. Payton Hardy pulled down a team-high seven rebounds and joined six other Vikings in dishing out an assist apiece.
 
The Bulldogs took an early 8-2 lead after a pair of free throws to kick off first quarter action and the defensive battle was on. Paige Grant and Uzor Uchidiuno each dropped in a layup as Hayenga hit her only 3-pointer of the night, but UMD scored the final four points of the quarter to go up 19-9 at the break.  
 
Back-and-forth action highlighted the beginning of the second quarter until Minnesota Duluth went up big at 29-13. Augustana responded with six straight points as Isabella Sanneh and Kelsey Willems each scored three but the Bulldogs hit back with six unanswered points of their own. Kaz Parks made both free throws at 2:25 to close in at 35-21, and the two teams would remain scoreless for the rest of the half. UMD took the 14-point advantage into the locker room.
 
Burg hit a 3-pointer within 24 seconds of the third quarter but the home team continued to push on the gas. UMD went up 44-27 with six minutes remaining in the quarter and would not score again until there were 51 seconds on the clock. In that time, the Vikings scored six straight but remained down 47-31 ending into the final quarter.
 
Augustana scored the first four points of the fourth but the Bulldogs rattled off a 10-2 run in response. A triple from Burg and a free throw from Grant brought the difference back to 14 and Hayenga and Willems teamed up to score the final five points of the game, but the Vikings would fall 61-48.
 
The Vikings hit the court once again tomorrow afternoon with a 3:30 p.m. game against #13 Concordia-St. Paul.