SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The Augustana women's basketball team showed fight down the stretch, but couldn't overcome an early deficit in a 76-66 loss at Sioux Falls on Saturday evening at the Stewart Center. 

Isabella Sanneh led Augustana with 20 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 9-of-14 from the floor. Mia Donald was a bright spot off the bench, scoring 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Maliyah Elliott added 11 points, while Kristin Edmonds chipped in 10.

Augustana (3-5, 0-3 NSIC) traded punches early and briefly controlled the first quarter behind Isabella Sanneh's inside presence. The Vikings jumped in front by seven midway through the opening period and shot 52.6% in the frame, but Sioux Falls answered and edged ahead 26-25 after one.

The game tilted in the second. Augustana struggled to generate rhythm offensively, going 5-of-17 from the floor in the quarter and missing all six 3-point attempts. Sioux Falls used that lull to build separation, taking a 41-35 lead into halftime.

Out of the break, the Cougars continued to press the advantage with efficient perimeter shooting and steady work on the glass. A 13-0 stretch early in the third quarter pushed the lead into double digits as Anna Vaaler and Krista Langager punctured the defense with timely finishes. Sioux Falls carried a 57-46 cushion into the fourth.

The Vikings didn't fold. Sanneh powered a late rally with putbacks and paint touches, and Mia Donald provided a spark off the bench as Augustana trimmed the deficit to single digits in the final minutes, but Sioux Falls answered each push, using another Vaaler triple and key buckets from Langager to keep Augustana at arm's length. A late Sanneh 3-pointer brought the Vikings within 12, yet the Cougars closed it out at the line and on the boards.

Augustana returns to the court on Thursday, hitting the road to take on St. Cloud State at 7:30 p.m.