Box Score
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Monmouth erased a six-point halftime deficit and went on to an 81-72 win over Augustana Thursday night at Carver Center. The Vikings saw a two-game winning streak snapped and fell to 4-6 on the year. The Scots improve to 7-2.
 
The first half was tight throughout, with neither team managing a lead of more than three points until Augustana freshman Olivia Mayer (Libertyville HS, Green Oaks, Ill.) scored with 51 seconds left to put the hosts up 36-32. Junior Valerie VanRoeyen (Libertyville HS, Grayslake, Ill.) scored off an Amy Hicks (Rockford Christian HS, Rockford, Ill.) assist with 33 seconds remaining to send the Vikings to the locker room with a 38-32 advantage.
 
Hicks had 10 points at the break and Mayer eight. The pair combined to hit five of six shots from the floor and eight of nine from the line in the first half.
 
It took Monmouth just over a minute to wipe out the deficit after halftime. Marla Willard scored first and Paige Nord followed with back-to-back field goals to knot things up at 38-all at the 18:47 mark.
 
The contest would be tied six more times over the next 13 and a half minutes. The final deadlock, and 13th on the game, came with 5:22 left on a Marissa Pezzopane (Addison Trail HS, Wood Dale, Ill.) basket. That got Augustana even at 62-all and a Hicks bucket with 4:35 remaining gave the Vikings their final lead of the night at 64-63. However, Willard scored six points in an 8-0 Scots run that gave the visitors some breathing room.
 
A Molly Etheridge (Normal Community HS, Bloomington, Ill.) three-pointer with 1:02 on the clock cut the deficit to 73-69, but Willard and Nord answered with two free throws each to put the game out of reach.
 
Hicks finished the night with 19 points, hitting six of 11 from the field and six of six from the charity stripe. Etheridge added 12 and Mayer joined them in double figures with 10. Hicks and senior Chaney Tambling (Dwight HS, Dwight, Ill.) each snared a team-high seven rebounds and Etheridge led Augustana with five assists.
 
The Vikings shot 24 of 64 (.375) from the floor as a team and missed their first 13 three-point attempts before finishing three of 23 (.130) from beyond the arc. Augustana did hit 21 of 28 (.750) free throws. Monmouth was 26 of 64 (.406) from the field, five of 14 (.357) from long range and 24 of 33 (.727) at the line. Each team grabbed 43 rebounds. Monmouth committed 16 turnovers to 19 for Augustana.
 
Coach Mark Beinborn's squad closes out the non-conference portion of its schedule on Monday, December 30 at Rockford College. Tip off against the Regents is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.