SIOUX FALLS S.D. - The Augustana women's basketball team used a strong first quarter and a third quarter flurry from Lauren Sees to knock off Concordia-St. Paul 61-60 on Saturday afternoon inside the Elmen Center. 

The Vikings jump to 6-14 overall and 5-11 in the NSIC while the Golden Bears fall to 16-6, 12-5. 

Sees finished the game with 15 points, including the final seven Viking points in the third quarter, and seven rebounds to lead the way for AU. Michaela Jewett poured in 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds while blocking three shots. Kenzie Rensch added eight points and three assists, while Jennifer Aadland tallied seven points, six rebounds, and two steals. Johanna Miller was the leader off the bench for the Vikings, scoring eight points and grabbing three boards to lead an 11-4 advantage in bench points. 

AU was able to knock down 12 of 13 from the free throw line and outscored CSP 21-18 off turnovers. The Vikings were also able to gain advantages off the fast break (6-4) and in the paint (22-20). 

CSP opened the game with a 6-2 lead before a layup from Sees ignited the Vikings. A Phipps jumper, Rensch 3-pointer, and Jewett layup scattered around a Golden Bear free throw to help AU take an 11-7 lead with 4:51 left in the first quarter. 

A 5-0 Golden Bear run countered to give them the lead back at 12-11 with 2:51 remaining. Back-to-back Viking possessions ended with Sees jumpers, Katie Leisen knocked down a three, and Miller made a free throw to cap an 8-0 run in four AU possessions to end the quarter. The run put the Vikings ahead 19-12 into the second. 

A pair of CSP 3-pointers sandwiched a Phipps layup to bring them within 21-18 in the early stages of the second quarter. Jewett reinflated the lead with a 5-0 run of her own, and Aadland followed a Golden Bear layup with a 3-pointer to grow a 29-20 lead with 3:33 left in the half. 

Defenses shined in the final 3:33, as CSP scored the final five points in that stretch to cut its deficit to 29-25 at the half. Jewett led the Vikings with seven points and eight rebounds, while Sees added six points, three rebounds, and two assists. 

Opening the third quarter was a CSP flurry as they scored the first 12 points to take an 8-0 lead. Miller went on to score seven points in an 11-2 run to even the score at 40-40 with 3:18 to go in the third. 

The Golden Bears took a five point lead with under three minutes left in the quarter before a Rensch 3-pointer got the Vikings back within two. The Sees' show followed as she knocked down a 3-pointer through contact and knocked down a free throw to convert a four-point play. After a pair of CSP free throws, Sees knocked down another clutch three to give AU a 50-47 lead into the fourth. 

In the first 6:45 of the fourth quarter, the Vikings were able to mount a 61-54 lead behind a pair of layups and 7 of 7 shooting from the free throw line. The Golden Bears marched back, scoring six straight points to get within one before getting the ball back with 5.5 seconds remaining. Aadland came through defensively, walling up Lindsey Becher of CSP and forcing a difficult shot that missed the mark and gave AU the victory. 

The Vikings travel to Winona for a Friday night match-up against Winona State, with tip-off slated for 5:30 p.m.