MOORHEAD, Minn. -- The effort was there, but the uphill climb was too tough, as the Augustana women’s basketball team drop their first game of the year 75-64 to Minnesota State Moorhead Friday night in the Nemzek Fieldhouse.
The Vikings fall to 14-1 overall and 10-1 in NSIC play, which snaps their 14 game win streak. It was Augustana’s longest winning streak since the Vikings won 20 games in a row from Nov. 5, 2006 to Jan. 20, 2007.
With Augustana trailing by double-digits most of the game, a Naomi Rust layup cut the deficit to eight points and the Vikings trailed 60-52 with 9:07 left in the fourth quarter. MSU Moorhead regained its double-digit advantage, but back-to-back three-pointers from Allie Koehn and Lynsey Prosser cut the Dragons lead to just five points with 2:22 left in the contest. Ultimately, though, that was the closest Augustana got down the stretch, as time expired on the Vikings undefeated season.
The Dragons opened up the contest on a 12-2 run. Drew Sannes, a 6-3 senior from Hawley, Minn. and Cassidy Thorson, a 5-11 senior from West Fargo, N.D. sparked the run. Sannes finished the game with 22 points, which lead all scorers. Thorson finished with 12 points and joined Sannes as one of the four Dragons to score 10-plus points in the game.
A three-pointer from sophomore guard Abby Hora gave the Vikings momentum and stopped the run to get Augustana within seven. Battling back throughout the entire first quarter, Augie refused to lay down. Allie Koehn drained a three at the end of the first to pull the Vikings within eight. The Brandon, S.D. native opened up the second quarter with a three and added a layup with 9:01 to play in the first half and Augustana trailed just 22-19. However MSUM started another run and the Vikings trailed by 13 at the break.
Koehn, senior guard finished with a season-high 14 points for the Vikings while junior center Shelby Selland added a team-best 16 points.
The Vikings shot just 36 percent from the field and the 64 points is their lowest scoring output of the season.
With the win, MSU Moorhead 12-3 overall and 9-2 in league play.
Augustana returns to action Saturday at 4 p.m. when the Vikings travel to No. 20 Northern State.
--GoAugie.com--
Courtesy: Augustana
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