Box Score

ELMHURST, Ill. – For nearly 30 minutes on Wednesday, January 7 the Augustana women's basketball team played even with Elmhurst in a College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin battle. Over the final 10 minutes, however, the Bluejays went on a 28-15 run and the result was a 63-49 Elmhurst victory.
 
When senior Valerie VanRoeyen (Libertyville HS, Grayslake, Ill.) sank two free throws with 10:55 to play the Vikings were just a single point down (35-34). Over the next 3:38 Elmhurst went on a 12-2 spurt to bump the lead to 11 (47-36). A basket by junior Marissa Pezzopane (Addison Trail HS, Wood Dale, Ill.) briefly trimmed the advantage into single digits (47-38) at 6:55 but a three point field goal by the Bluejays Claire Monroe at 7:17 made it 50-38. Augustana was never able to get it below double figures after that.
 
The Vikings led early by as many as seven (9-2) after junior Andrea McNally (Hinsdale South HS, Burr Ridge, Ill.) scored at 15:28 of the first half. The last time Augustana led was late in the first half but a Monroe three point basket at 3:06 tied the game at 19-19. Elmhurst led by three (24-21) at intermission.
 
Pezzopane and VanRoeyen led Augustana in scoring with 13 points apiece while sophomore Olivia Mayer (Libertyville HS, Green Oaks, Ill.) chipped in with 12 and added a game high six assists. McNally scored nine points and had a team high eight rebounds.
 
Fiona McMahon led Elmhurst with 20 points and had 11 rebounds while Hannah Lipman dropped in 16 points and hauled in 12 rebounds.
 
Neither team shot very well in the first half with Augustana connecting at a .290 (9-31) pace and Elmhurst not much better at .310 (9-29). In the second half both teams got better with Augustana shooting .429 (9-21) and the Bluejays hitting at .467 (14-30).
 
Augustana fell to 6-7 overall and 0-2 in the CCIW while Elmhurst went to 8-5 and 1-1. The Vikings host North Park at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 10 in the Carver Center.