Box Score
ELMHURST, Ill. – Senior guard Molly Etheridge (Normal Community HS, Bloomington, Ill.) became just the ninth Augustana player to reach 1,000 career points Saturday, but despite her efforts, the Vikings fell 88-78 at Elmhurst. Etheridge, who entered the game with 996 career points, finished the contest with 17 as Augustana fell to 5-13 overall and 1-6 in the CCIW. The Bluejays improved to 11-7 on the season and 3-4 in the conference.
 
The hosts led in the early going, but back-to-back baskets by junior Valerie VanRoeyen (Libertyville HS, Grayslake, Ill.) gave Augustana its first lead at 14-13 with 13:15 left in the opening stanza. A conventional three-point play by sophomore Marissa Pezzopane (Addison Trail HS, Wood Dale, Ill.) pushed the advantage to 19-15, but a 7-0 run put the Bluejays back on top 22-19.
 
Four straight free throws by freshman Olivia Mayer (Libertyville HS, Green Oaks, Ill.) regained the lead for the Vikings and they maintained it for most of the rest of the half. Elmhurst went ahead briefly 31-30 on a pair of Karen Senette free throws at 5:44, but Pezzopane answered with two of her eight first-half points to put Augustana back on top.
 
After Senette hit a trey from the right wing to tie it at 39-all with eight seconds left, Etheridge reached the four-digit plateau when she banked in a 35-footer at the halftime buzzer to send Augustana to the locker room leading 42-39.
 
Elmhurst went on a 13-5 run over the first five minutes of the second half to take the lead for good.
 
A Fiona McMahon field goal at the 10:47 mark put the Bluejays up 63-52, but Augustana wouldn't go away. Freshman Katie Villa (Craig HS, Janesville, Wis.) scored in the lane and VanRoeyen followed with a pair of jumpers, one a three-pointer, before a conventional three-point play by Etheridge capped a 10-0 Viking run to make it 63-62.
 
It was still a one-possession game under five minutes, but an old-fashioned three-point play by Devin Vaughn put Elmhurst ahead 77-71 with 4:14 to play. Senior Amy Hicks (Rockford Christian HS, Rockford, Ill.) answered with a field goal, but that's as close as Augustana would get the rest of the way. The Bluejays went four of four from the free throw line in the final minute to ice the game.
 
Etheridge added a team-high six rebounds to her 17 points. Hicks and Pezzopane each finished with 10 points and VanRoeyen nine. Mayer had a game-high seven assists while committing just one turnover. The Vikings finished 28 of 58 (.483) from the field, three of 10 (.300) from three-point range and 19 of 25 (.760) from the free throw line. Vaughn scored 16 to lead five Bluejays in double figures. Elmhurst shot .544 (31 of 57) from the field, seven of 22 (.318) from three and also hit 19 of 25 at the line. The teams were even on the boards at 31.
 
Coach Mark Beinborn's club will attempt to bounce back on Wednesday, January 29 at North Central. The Vikings defeated the Cardinals 101-91 at Carver Center on January 15.