Box Score ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – On a night when both teams were as cold as the weather outside, North Park picked up a 53-50 victory over Augustana on Saturday, January 18 in the Carver Center. The winners shot just .345 (19-55) from the floor and Augustana could hit on only .316 (18-57) in a game that featured 75 missed shots by both teams combined.
 
Still, the Vikings had a chance to tie it at the buzzer when a three-point field goal attempt by senior Molly Etheridge (Normal Community HS, Bloomington, Ill.) rimmed out.
 
Augustana battled to a 22-20 halftime lead but North Park forged a nine-point advantage with 8:09 left on a basket by Liz Rehberger that made it 46-37. Down by nine, the Vikings tightened things up on defense and scored the game's next nine points to tie things at 46-46 with 5:27 left to play.
 
Senior Amy Hicks (Rockford Christian HS, Rockford, Ill.) started the run with a pair of free throws at 7:50 to make it 46-37. Hicks then added two more charity tosses at 7:10 to trim things to 71-46. Etheridge cut the lead further with a pair of free throws at 6:25 and sophomore Marissa Pezzopane (Addison Trail HS, Wood Dale, Ill.) made it 46-45 with a basket at 5:57. Etheridge made one of two free throws at 5:27 to tie the game.
 
North Park countered with five straight points and with 2:20 left the visitors led 51-46. Pezzopane scored at 1:38 to make it 51-48 and Etheridge nailed a pair of free throws with 1:07 remaining to cut the advantage to 51-50.
 
The Vikings forced a turnover with :54 left but missed a shot and were forced to foul. North Park's Amani Davis hit two free throws with :27 left to account for the final score.
 
Etheridge led Augustana in scoring with 13 points and she had four assists, two steals and six rebounds. Senior Chaney Tambling (Dwight HS, Dwight, Ill.) scored 11 points, all in the second half and Hicks dropped in 10 points and hauled in eight rebounds. The Vikings won the battle of boards by a comfortable 44-34 margin as Pezzopane added seven caroms to her six points.
 
Nicole Kruckman led North Park in scoring with 13 points.
 
Augustana is now 5-11 overall and 1-4 in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin while North Park is 9-7 and 2-3. The Vikings will travel to Decatur, Illinois on Wednesday, January 22 to take on Millikin at 7:00 p.m.