Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana shot 50 percent from the floor, including nine of 21 three-point attempts, Tuesday night to defeat Rockford 81-53 at Carver Center. The Vikings put four players in double figures, led by senior Valerie VanRoeyen's (Libertyville HS, Grayslake, Ill.) 17 points. With its third straight win, Coach Mark Beinborn's club improved to 4-3 on the season, while the Regents fell to 1-8.
 
After Jen VanWatermeulen (United Township HS, Silvis, Ill.) and Casey Pettit traded baskets to start the game, Augustana went on a 15-2 run to take command. VanRoeyen scored seven in the spurt and junior Marissa Pezzopane (Addison Trail HS, Wood Dale, Ill.) netted six. Andrea McNally's (Hinsdale South HS, Burr Ridge, Ill.) bucket at the 14:00 mark put the Vikings up 17-4.
 
Sophomore Olivia Mayer (Libertyville HS, Green Oaks, Ill.) split a pair of free throws with 1:39 left to give Augustana its biggest lead of the first half at 37-14. Mayer's layup just before the halftime buzzer sent the hosts to the locker room leading 39-18.
 
The advantage continued to grow early in the second half. A jumper by sophomore Kayla Freeman (Nazareth Academy, Chicago, Ill.) at the 12:01 mark put the Vikings up 59-32. However, nine points from Katie Clark sparked a 13-4 Regent run that cut the margin to 18 (63-45) with 7:13 to play.
 
That was as close as Rockford would get, though, as Mayer (two) and VanRoeyen (one) scored Augustana's next three field goals and the margin would stay over 20 the rest of the way. Leading 73-47 with three and a half minutes remaining, Beinborn cleared his bench. A three-pointer by freshman Tiffany Bertoni (Sacred Heart-Griffin HS, Springfield, Ill.) with 28 seconds left gave the Vikings their biggest lead of the night and accounted for the final score.
 
VanWatermeulen, with 13, and Pezzopane and Mayer, with a dozen each, joined VanRoeyen in double figures. McNally scored nine to go along with team highs of seven rebounds and five assists. Mayer also had five of Augustana's 23 assists. VanWatermeulen (5-5 field goals and 3-3 three-pointers) had a perfect shooting night and VanRoeyen hit seven of 11 from the floor, including three of five from beyond the arc. The Vikings finished 33 of 66 from the field, outrebounded Rockford 41-31 and committed 13 turnovers while forcing 17 by the Regents.
 
Next up, Augustana travels to Memphis, Tennessee to take part in the Bancorp South Holiday Classic at Rhodes College. Augustana faces the 23rd-ranked hosts on Friday, December 19 at 7:00 p.m. and Centre College on Saturday, December 20 at 1:00 p.m.