Box Score

WHEATON, Ill. – The Augustana women's basketball team had its two-game winning streak snapped by league champion Wheaton 71-35 in a College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin battle on Saturday, February 21 at King Arena in Wheaton, Illinois. The Vikings came into the game off of home victories over Illinois Wesleyan (80-70 on February 11) and Millikin (63-55 on February 14) but an early Thunder surge proved to be the difference in this game.
 
Augustana jumped out to an early 11-5 with the game just over five minutes old (14:44) on a pair of free throws by junior Marissa Pezzopane (Addison Trail HS, Wood Dale, Ill.). Wheaton scored the game's next 13 points, however, and moved in front 18-11 at the 9:37 mark of the first half. By intermission the Thunder led 34-19 as the Vikings could manage just eight points over the final 15 minutes.
 
Over the first nine minutes of the second half Wheaton outscored Augustana 13-2 and with 11:07 left in the game led 47-21.
 
Augustana shot just .250 (14-56) from the floor in the game and were outrebounded 39-32. Wheaton scorched the nets, especially in the second half. For the game the Thunder hit at a .520 clip (26-50) but in the second half Wheaton connected on 13 of 22 for .591. From three-point range the home team was nine of 14 (.643).
 
Pezzopane was the lone Viking in double figures as she scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Junior Andrea McNally (Hinsdale South HS, Burr Ridge, Ill.) scored two points but she led the team in assists with five and had four rebounds and a steal. Senior Valerie VanRoeyen (Libertyville HS, Libertyville, Ill.) scored seven points and freshman Cassidy Rice (Ottawa Township HS, Marseilles, Ill.) scored six.
 
Wheaton was led in scoring by Chantal Meacham with 15 points while Hannah Considine scored 10 points and had nine rebounds.
 
Augustana finished the season with a 9-16 overall record and a 3-11 mark in the CCIW while Wheaton is now 22-3 and 12-2.