SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Augustana women's basketball team opens its NSIC slate on Tuesday afternoon, taking on Wayne State in Wayne, America. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.
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 Wildcats
Wayne State was selected to finish 13th in the NSIC but have gotten off to a fast start. The Wildcats are 4-0 on the year with a pair of MIAA wins and are fresh off a victory against Chadron State. Rachel Dahlen is averaging 12.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while Kelsey Willems scores 10.0 points and collects 3.3 steals per game.
Series History
Augustana 29-22 against the Wildcats but have dropped the last three meetings. The Vikings are 11-14 in Wayne, 3-3 in the previous six meetings.
Last Time Out
Isabella Sanneh poured in 29 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead Augustana women's basketball to a 76-67 road win over Upper Iowa on Saturday afternoon.
Augustana set the tone early, shooting 55.6% in the first quarter and knocking down four triples to build a 27-20 lead after one. Upper Iowa answered in the second, trimming the deficit to 38-36 at halftime, but the Vikings reclaimed control coming out of the break.
The third quarter belonged to Augustana. The Vikings forced key turnovers and turned them into transition and paint finishes, outscoring the Peacocks 25-18 in the period. Sanneh repeatedly attacked the rim and got to the line, while Payton Hardy's steady presence and Clarissa Sauer's activity on both ends helped push Augustana in front for good. The Vikings stretched the margin to double digits late in the third and carried a 63-54 advantage into the final 10 minutes.
Upper Iowa threatened early in the fourth behind Ellie Foster's perimeter shooting, but Augustana answered with stops and second-chance points, extending the lead to as many as 14 with 7:23 left. The Vikings closed from the foul line and controlled the glass down the stretch to seal it.
The Vikings
The Vikings are 2-2 after a pair of victories last week.
After a monster weekend, Isabella Sanneh leads the team with 14.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Payton Hardy is right behind her with 13.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while shooting 48.6 percent from the field.
Maliyah Elliott has been a spark plug among the newcomers, scoring 8.3 points per game. Another newcomer having success beyond the arc is Kristin Edmonds, knocking down nine of 18 from long range and averaging 7.3 points per game.
A freshman turning heads is Addie Hanna. Making a pair of appearances off the bench and two starts, Hanna has scored 6.5 points per game while going 11 of 13 from the free throw line. Greta Dillinger played in both victories last weekend, going 5 of 7 from deep off the bench to average 7.5 points per game.
