SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The Augustana women's basketball team fell 65–58 to Central Missouri on Saturday at the Elmen Center. Despite a late fourth-quarter surge, the Vikings could not overcome a cold stretch in the third quarter that allowed the Jennies to pull ahead for good.

Augustana (0–2) was led by Payton Hardy, who scored 14 points, knocked down three 3-pointers and grabbed seven rebounds. Maliyah Elliott added 13 points, including a pair of threes, while Addie Hanna finished with 10 points and a team-high four assists. Clarissa Sauer chipped in seven points and seven rebounds.

Central Missouri (1–1) controlled the first quarter, hitting three early 3-pointers to take a 16–13 lead after 10 minutes. Augustana responded with its best offensive stretch in the second period, using a 4–0 spurt sparked by buckets from Ella Bockenstedt and Hanna to briefly take a 21–18 advantage. The Jennies answered with a run of their own and carried a 34–30 advantage into halftime.

The third quarter proved decisive, as Central Missouri outscored Augustana 20–10 while shooting 47 percent from the field. A layup by Reese Schaaf capped a 7–0 Jennies push that pushed the deficit to double digits entering the final frame.

Augustana mounted a rally in the fourth behind Hardy, Elliott and Sauer. Hardy buried a deep 3-pointer at the 8:23 mark to cut the margin to 55–43, and Elliott followed with a pair of threes to pull the Vikings within six at 57–51. Sauer later knocked down a second-chance 3-pointer with 1:33 remaining to make it a 63–56 game, but UCM sealed the win at the free-throw line.

Central Missouri was led by Reese Schaaf's 18 points, while Taylor Weishaar added 14 points and eight rebounds.

Augustana finished the game shooting 39.3 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from three. The Vikings won the battle in the paint (16–10) and scored 18 fourth-quarter points but were outscored 20–10 in the third.

The Vikings return to action Thursday as they host Nebraska-Kearney at the Elmen Center.