Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana outscored Monmouth 14-7 over the final four minutes Wednesday to pull out a 76-70 win over the Scots at Carver Center. Coach Mark Beinborn's Vikings finish the non-conference portion of their schedule with a 6-5 record. Monmouth fell to 2-7 on the year.
 
Scot Kelsy Walsberg staked her team to an 8-0 lead, hitting a field goal and a pair of three-pointers in the first minute and a half. An Andrea McNally (Hinsdale South HS, Burr Ridge, Ill.) bucket got the hosts on the board at the 17:43 mark and Augustana found itself playing catchup for a good part of the first half.
 
Sophomore Kayla Freeman (Nazareth Academy, Chicago, Ill.) cut the deficit to 15-13 with a three-pointer at the 12:09 and gave the Vikings their first lead with a pair of free throws two minutes later.  The final 10 minutes of the period saw seven lead changes and three ties. Two free throws by junior Marissa Pezzopane (Addison Trail HS, Wood Dale, Ill.) got Augustana to within 33-31 at the halftime break.
 
Much like in the first half, Monmouth held the lead for almost the entire first 10 minutes of the second stanza. A pair of ties at 33-all and 35-all were the only times the Vikings didn't trail until a basket by sophomore Olivia Mayer (Libertyville HS, Green Oaks, Ill.) gave them a 56-55 lead with 8:36 to play.
 
Mayer's hoop was part of an 11-2 Augustana run which eventually resulted in the team's biggest lead of the game at 62-56. However, the Scots responded with seven straight points, including five by Walsberg, to take their final lead at 63-62 with 4:02 remaining. Walsberg's trey that gave her team the lead was answered by Viking freshman Victoria Allen's (Eureka HS, Wildwood, Mo.) 12 seconds later and the hosts wouldn't trail again. Pezzopane and Mayer combined to hit three of four free throws in the final 38 seconds as Augustana held on for the win.
 
Four Vikings scored in double figures, led by senior Valerie VanRoeyen's (Libertyville HS, Grayslake, Ill.) 18 points. Pezzopane added 16 and McNally and Allen 11 each. McNally also had game highs of 17 rebounds and two blocked shots. Mayer dished out a game-high six assists.
 
After shooting just 30 percent from the floor in the first half, Beinborn's squad heated up to .556 in the second to finish the afternoon 24 of 57 (.421). The Vikings were eight of 28 (.286) from beyond the arc, 20 of 24 (.833) from the free throw line and outrebounded Monmouth 45-31. Augustana committed 18 turnovers, but just five after halftime. The Scots finished 25 of 62 (.403) from the field, eight of 21 (.381) from three-point range and 12 of 18 (.667) at the line and turned it over 11 times. Walsberg had a game-high 23 points.
 
The Vikings open College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin play at Carthage on Saturday, January 3 at 2:00.