Box Score
A steady dose of 3-point shooting and defensive pressure lifted the Augustana women's basketball team to an 87-64 non-conference victory over Wisconsin-Eau Claire Saturday afternoon at the Elmen Center.
Augustana improved to 8-1 on the season following its sixth-straight win, while Wisconsin-Eau Claire dropped to 3-7.
The Vikings, who are now 6-0 at home, made a season-high 14 3-pointers while forcing 22 Blugold turnovers. Augie managed to convert those turnovers into 22 points, including 21 fast break points.
Augustana came out on fire. The Vikings drained 3 3-pointers, 2 by
Molly Hayes, en route to an early 13-7 lead. After a pair of baskets by Wisconsin-Eau Claire cut the lead to 13-11, the Vikings erupted with 17 unanswered points to stretch their lead to 30-11 with just over 11 minutes to play in the half.
Hayes and
Tessa Wilka sparked the rally with 5 points apiece.
Wisconsin-Eau Claire wouldn't go away though. Moments later, with Augustana leading 37-15, the Blugolds went on a 12-2 run to pull within 12 points at 39-27 with 3:31 to play in the half.
However, Augustana closed out the half on a strong note as
Kristi Board, who had 12 first-half points, scored 4 points in a 7-0 rally to give the Vikings a 46-27 lead. Augie led 48-29 at intermission.
Augustana shot 49 percent from the field in the half, making 19 of 39 shots. Eight of the Vikings' field goals came from 3-point range. Board was 4 of 5 from the field, while Hayes made 4 of 7 shots for her 11 first-half points.
The Vikings' defense and opportunistic rebounding were also keys in the opening 20 minutes. Augustana converted 14 Blugold turnovers in 14 points. In addition, the Vikings had 9 second-chance points.
Augustana pushed its advantage to 23 points early in the second half, but the Blugolds rallied. They steadily chipped away at the lead, cutting it to 56-40 with just over 14 minutes to play. Following a 3-pointer by Wilka, Wisconsin-Eau Claire went on a 10-3 run to make it a 12-point game at 62-50 with 10:49 remaining to play.
But the Vikings regrouped as they scored 10 of the next 12 points to increase the lead back to 20 at 72-52 with 6:30 to play. Hayes drained a pair of 3-pointers during the surge.
Hayes led four Vikings in double figures with a season-high 21 points. She also dished out 10 assists, matching her career high, for her second double-double of the season. Board finished with 15 points, while Wilka added 11 points off the bench.
Faith Tinklenberg was the fourth Viking in double figures with 10 points.
Hanna Mesick and Ellen Plendl paced Wisconsin-Eau Claire as both players recorded double-doubles. Mesick tallied 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Plendl had 15 points and 11 boards.
Augustana is now off until December 29 when the Vikings entertain Mount Marty in a 7 p.m. game at the Elmen Center.
