SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Augustana women's basketball (1-9 overall, 0-5 NSIC) returns home for one game against Southwest Minnesota State at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday night before hitting the road to face Wayne State at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.
 
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 MUSTANGS
Southwest Minnesota State sits 9-2 overall with a 3-2 conference record following a 101-83 loss to Minnesota State and 93-64 defeat of Winona State. Four Mustangs are in double figures to lead SMSU's scoring, with Bri Stoltzman ahead at 16.6 points/game. Peyton Blandin (15.9), Audrey Swanson (14.8) and Natalie Nielson (10.5) all follow behind. Swanson leads the team with 8.5 rebounds/game while Nielson averages 2.2 blocks per game.
 
THE WILDCATS
Wayne State suffered two weekend losses to Concordia-St. Paul (75-62) and Minnesota Duluth (62-56) and currently hold a 4-5 overall record with a 1-4 NSIC showing. Kylah vanDonkersgoed is averaging 13.4 points per game to lead scoring while Tate Norblade sits at 11.6 points/game and Maya Fitzpatrick has 10.1 points/game. vanDonkersgoed pulls down an average of 5.6 rebounds a game and Fitzpatrick adds in 1.7 blocks a game.
 
THE VIKINGS
Augustana is currently looking for its first conference win of the season following a 0-5 start to the NSIC slate, mostly recently dropping to Minnesota Duluth and #13 Concordia-St. Paul.
 
Hannah Burg leads the scoring with 11.1 points alongside a team-high 4.1 assists/game while Olivia Hayenga is averaging 10.1 points with 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals. Payton Hardy is cleaning the glass for the Vikings, leading with an average of 6.1 rebounds per game and Paige Grant sit at 1.0 blocks/game.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Augustana holds the all-time advantage against the Mustangs, 28-17, but most recently fell on Feb 23, 2024, on the road, 93-85. The Vikings are also up 29-20 historically against the Wildcats following a 60-15 loss at Wayne last season.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Vikings dropped two conference weekend road games in Minnesota, first falling 61-48 against Minnesota Duluth last Friday. Olivia Hayenga led AU with 15 points as Hannah Burg added in eight points. Payton Hardy pulled down seven rebounds and joined six other Vikings in dishing out an assist apiece.
 
The following Saturday afternoon, Augustana closely battled with #13 Concordia-St. Paul in the first quarter before ultimately dropping, 80-58. Brinlee McRae led with 12 points alongside four rebounds, two steals and an assist and Uzor Uchidiuno was close behind with 11 points. Olivia Hayenga pulled down a team-high six rebounds—including five offensive boards—as Hannah Burg dished out three assists and Paige Grant logged four blocks.
 
DOUBLE DIGIT DUTIES
Hannah Burg and Olivia Hayenga are each currently averaging double figures in scoring, with Burg leading at 11.1 points/game and Hayenga averaging at 10.1 points/game.
 
VICTORY FORMATION
Nate Vogel has secured his first victory as head coach of the Augustana women's basketball team, leading the Vikings over the Broncos of Hastings College, 87-77, on Nov. 27.  
 
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 10 newcomers joining in with the five returning letterwinners on the Augustana roster, AU will have quite the new look alongside first-year head coach Nate Vogel.
 
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.
 
Two freshmen will also make their debut with the addition of Izzy Klumper and Isabella Sanneh.
 
RUNNING IT BACK
Five letterwinners return to the Vikings lineup, led by junior CJ Adamson, who appeared in 25 games and averaged 3.0 points and 1.3 rebounds last season, and junior Katie Leisen, who averaged 2.2 points and 2.1 rebounds.
 
Also making their comeback are redshirt sophomore Katelyn Diegnau, sophomore Payton Hardy, sophomore Jordan Munson and redshirt junior Kelsey Willems.
 
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 return home to host Mount Marty on Dec 31 with a 4 p.m. tip-off scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.