Box Score
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Despite seeing a 19-point first-half lead eventually whittled to two with 7:56 left in the game, Augustana was able to hold off Webster Saturday, defeating the Gorloks 89-83 at Carver Center. With the victory, Coach Mark Beinborn's club improves to 2-2 on the year. Webster now is also 2-2 this season.
 
In a game that saw 61 fouls – 34 by the Vikings – and 85 free throw attempts, Augustana rode Molly Etheridge's (Normal Community HS, Bloomington, Ill.) 32 points to the win. Etheridge also had a game-high five steals to go along with nine rebounds. Senior classmate Amy Hicks (Rockford Christian HS, Rockford, Ill.) was the only other Viking in double figures, with 10 points.
 
Webster's Elisha Cobbs had five points as the Gorloks jumped out to an 8-2 lead three minutes in. The hosts righted things, however, and took a 13-12 lead on a Marissa Pezzopane (Addison Trail HS, Wood Dale, Ill.) basket with 13:54 left in the opening half.
 
After a Britt Harris-Conway deuce gave the Gorloks a 14-13 lead, their final of the afternoon, Etheridge responded with a three-pointer. That sparked a 12-1 Augustana run as the Vikings took a 28-15 advantage. An Etheridge jumper at the seven-minute mark gave the hosts their biggest lead of the game at 35-16. Augustana led 49-34 at halftime.
 
The visitors outscored the Vikings 11-5 over the first five minutes of the second half to get the margin under 10 (54-45) for the first time almost 14 minutes. The advantage was still nine after sophomore Andrea McNally (Hinsdale South HS, Burr Ridge, Ill.) made one of two free throws at the 9:36 mark. From that point, the Gorloks went on a 7-0 run, keyed by a traditional three-point play from Harris-Conway, to cut the deficit to 67-65.
 
However, Etheridge answered with a three-point play of her own and went on to score 13 points in the final eight minutes, including three of four free throws in the final 31 seconds to keep Webster at bay.
 
Augustana shot .392 (29-74) from the field to .410 (25-61) for the Gorloks. The Vikings connected on six of 18 (.333) from beyond the arc and 25-38 (.658) from the free throw line. Etheridge finished the afternoon 10 of 16 from the field, three of five from downtown and nine of 11 at the line. Webster was five of 18 (.278) from long distance and 28 of 47 (.596) at the charity stripe. Senior Chaney Tambling (Dwight HS, Dwight, Ill.) grabbed 13 boards as Augustana outrebounded the Gorloks 52-45.
 
The Vikings play the first of four consecutive games on the road on Wednesday, December 4. Beinborn's crew travels to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to face Coe, with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m.