Augustana College

Box Score

A 13 day layoff did not affect the Augustana women’s basketball team, as the Vikings came out firing on all cylinders and remain undefeated at home beating the Bemidji State Beavers 92-69 Friday night in the Elmen Center. 

It was the Vikings second Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference win this season as the team sits at 8-3 overall and 2-2 in NSIC play. In a losing effort, the Beavers have now lost their last eight games and sit at 2-10 overall and 0-5 in NSIC play. 

The Vikings jumped out to a quick 11-1 run in the first four minutes of the game on three of five shooting from beyond the arc and would lead by as many as 27 in the first half of play. 

With the Beavers starting out in a zone defense the Vikings took advantage of wide open shots in the first half as the Vikings shot 55 percent from the three-point stripe on 11-20 shooting. 

As a team, the Vikings set a season high in just the first half with 11 three-pointers made. They would finish the game with 14 three-pointers on 14-29 shooting, which was two made three pointers from the school record. 

Overall, the Vikings would shoot 18 of 33 from the field in the first half, good for 54.5 percent. Equally impressive was the Vikings defense, as they held the Beavers to just 21 percent shooting from the field and a miniscule seven percent from the three point line on 1-13 shooting. 

Amy Puthoff led the way for Augustana, as she shot four of seven from the three point line in the first half and finished the first 20 minutes with a game high 14 points. 

Whitney Hofer would put up seven points and eight rebounds in the first half in 14 minutes of action. 

The second half of play between the Vikings and Beavers was more balanced as both teams fought back and forth with both teams scoring 40 points a piece in the second half. 

Overall in the game, the Vikings shot 49 percent from the field on 32 of 65 shooting, while shooting 14-20 from the charity stripe. Augustana would hold the Beavers to just 33 percent shooting on the night, as the Beavers shot 19 for 56 from the field in the game.

Hofer recorded her team high third double –double of the season after finishing the contest with 12 points and tied her season high with 12 rebounds. Puthoff led all scorers with 21 points in contest. 

Megan Doyle added 18 points on the night with tying her season-high with four steals. 

Dani Arens recorded four points, eight rebounds and tied her season-high with 5 blocks, while Faith Tinklenberg came off the bench and score10 points in 12 minutes of playing time.

Heidi Matzke led all Beavers with 15 points, while grabbing seven rebounds.

The Vikings will continue NSIC play tomorrow against Minnesota Duluth at 6 p.m. Saturday night in the Elmen Center.