ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Despite a strong start early on, Augustana women's basketball dropped a conference road contest against St. Cloud State, 81-70, on Friday night.
 
The Vikings drop to 2-12 on the season and 0-8 in conference play while the Huskies improve to 7-5 overall with a 4-3 record in the NSIC.
 
Olivia Hayenga led in scoring for the Vikings with 17 points and a team-high 11 rebounds for a double-double. She also led the team with four steals and two blocks. Hannah Burg was close behind with 16 points and a team-high six assists and Brinlee McRae added in 11 points, including three 3-pointers.
 
Augustana shot 45.3 percent from the field with an 83.3 percent showing from the free throw line. The team also collected 11 steals and forced 20 turnovers for the Huskies.
 
After falling behind 6-3 with 8:15 remaining in the quarter, the Vikings rattled off eight straight points to take the 11-6 lead. Every time the home team scored a basket, AU responded. Hayenga dropped in a layup and grabbed the and-1 to push it to 18-14, but SCSU closed the gap and made it a 20-19 lead for the Vikings at the quarter break.
 
Payton Hardy scored first to start the second before SCSU rattled off an 8-2 lead to regain control at 27-24. The Huskies and Vikings traded 3-pointers and AU combined two free throws from Hayenga and another triple from McRae to take the 32-30 lead. The home team then rallied for 11 straight points and continued to press on the gas, taking a double-digit lead. Following a bucket from Burg, the Vikings would head into halftime down 49-40.
 
Eight straight points from the Huskies opened up the second half, forcing a 17-point lead. The Vikings hit back with a 10-2 run before SCSU responded with another 6-2 run, closing the third quarter with the 67-52 lead.
 
A 7-2 run capped by a triple from CJ Adamson kicked off the fourth but the home team rallied with a 12-2 run of their own to go up, 81-61. The Vikings scored the final nine points of the game before falling 81-70.
 
The Vikings will return to action tomorrow afternoon with a 3:30 p.m. game against Bemidji State.