Box Score

DECATUR, Ill. – Millikin's Alyssa Saklak scored a game-high 29 points and Augustana couldn't overcome 22 turnovers, falling to the Big Blue 70-57 Saturday at the Griswold Center. The Vikings dropped to 10-14 on the season and 5-8 in the CCIW. The host improved to 8-16 overall and picked up their first league win after 12 losses.
 
Each team led by as much as three points in a tight first quarter that ended with Millikin on top 17-16. Rachel Weber's layup with six seconds left put her team ahead and marked the seventh lead change of the period. There were also four ties.
 
Saklak scored seven points as the Big Blue outscored Augustana 13-4 to start the second quarter. Alex Caples' three-pointer with 4:20 left in the half pushed the margin to double digits for the first time at 30-20. The Vikings went on an 11-6 run to close the period, getting within 36-31 at intermission. Due largely to 13 turnovers, Augustana trailed despite shooting .545 from the field and outrebounding the Big Blue 14-9 in the first half. Saklak had 17 points while junior Olivia Mayer (Libertyville HS, Green Oaks, Ill.) led Augustana with 10.
 
Mayer opened the second half with a pair of free throws, cutting the margin to three, but the hosts put together a 15-3 spurt to go back up 51-36. The Vikings scored the final three points of the quarter to trail 51-39 after three.
 
Juniors Jen VanWatermeulen (United Township HS, Silvis, Ill.) and Kaycee Kallenberger (Pleasant Valley HS, Bettendorf, Iowa) combined for nine points in the first two minutes of the fourth period, as Coach Mark Beinborn's club put together one final push. Kallenberger's layup with 8:08 to play trimmed the deficit to 53-48 before Millikin answered with six straight points. Another Kalenberger layup at the 3:43 mark got Augustana within seven at 59-52, but the Big Blue responded again. They pushed the lead back to 15 with an 11-3 run before Viking freshman Izzy Anderson (Alleman HS, Rock Island, Ill.) scored the game's last basket to cut the final margin to 13.
 
Augustana shot just .258 (eight of 31) from the field in the second half to finish the night 20 of 53 (.377). The Vikings connected on only three of 21 (.143) three-point attempts, all by VanWatermeulen, who finished three of nine. They had a substantial 40-29 margin on the boards and limited the Big Blue to .421 (24 of 57) shooting from the floor, including two of 13 (.154) from beyond the arc. Millikin converted 20 of 26 free throw attempts.
 
Individually, Mayer scored a team-high 14 and was joined in double digits by senior Marissa Pezzopane (Addison Trail HS, Wood Dale, Ill.), who tallied 12 and VanWatermeulen, who added 11. Kallenberger grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.
 
Augustana will wrap up the 2015-16 season on Saturday, February 20 at CCIW co-leader Wheaton (18-5, 10-3). Tipoff at King Arena is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.