SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The Augustana women's basketball team (23-7) defeats MSU Moorhead Sunday night in the quarterfinals of the NSIC/Sanford Health Basketball Tournament 79-74 to advance to the semifinals Monday night.

Sophie Kenney and the Vikings were clutch, late in the fourth quarter to put the Dragons away and advance in the tournament. Trailing 74-69 with just under four minutes to play Augustana put the game's final run together, a run that started and ended from the free throw line. Nicole Kerkhoff would go to the line first, hitting one and cutting the deficit to four.

Sophie Kenney would hit the next four, tying the game at 74 after MSUM fouled her twice. Kerkhoff hit one more free throw but this one gave Augustana the final lead. The Dragons attempted to extend the game by fouling. You knew it was Kenney's night as the first of her final four free throws hit every part of the iron before falling into the basket to give Augustana a 79-74 win.

The Vikings opened the quarterfinals against MSU Moorhead (21-6) with some slow shooting, trailing 5-3 before a barrage of three-point baskets for the Vikings. After starting just 2-of-6 from behind the arc, senior Nicole Kerkhoff,sophomore Presley O'Farrell and junior Naomi Rust hit back-to-back-to-back triples to jump start the Viking offense and give them an early 16-6 advantage. After an MSU Moorhead 12-1 run between the quarters, Augustana went on a 14-2 run of their own to regain a 13-point lead. The Dragons would get the last run of the half, 14-5, but Augustana would go into the locker room with a 40-36 lead.

When the third quarter started neither team was able to find the rhythm the had in the first half as both teams went scoreless for the first minute and a half. The Dragons were the first to find that rhythm with the first four points that started an 11-6 run that would give them their first lead since the opening seconds of the first quarter. Augustana didn't allow the Dragons run to slow them down using a 5-0 run late in the quarter to pull with in four going into the final quarter.

Augustana battled back early in the fourth quarter as a layup from sophomore Logan O'Farrell brought the Vikings within two. Kenney followed that up with a layup of her own to tie the game at 62. The Vikings would get their first lead since the 4:17 mark of the third quarter, 67-66, on a corner triple from freshman Shelby Selland. A 6-2 MSUM run was enough to regain the lead for the Dragons but clutch free throw shooting for the Vikings would help seal the victory and advance the Vikings to conference semifinals.

VIKING OF NOTE
Senior guard Sophie KEnney put the team on her back in the NSIC/Sanford Health quarterfinal match up against MSU Moorhead. Kenney led all scores with 31 points, a new career-high. She was perfect at the charity stripe going 12-for-12, setting career-highs in both categories. She added a game-high six assists to her amazing night.

UP NEXT
Augustana will play Winona State in the semifinals of the NSIC/Sanford Health Basketball Tournament tomorrow night. Tip-off against the Warriors is scheduled for 8 p.m.