Box Score

WHEATON, Ill. – Wheaton led for just three minutes and 18 seconds Saturday against Augustana, but it was the most important 3:18 of the game, as the Thunder rallied for a 67-57 win over the Vikings at King Arena. 21st-ranked Wheaton improved to 20-5 on the season and clinched at least a share of the CCIW championship with a 11-3 league mark. Coach Mark Beinborn's Augustana squad finished the year 10-15 overall and 5-9 in the conference.
 
The Vikings scored the first eight points of the game and held that lead until Hannah Considine's layup with 4:39 to play knotted the score at 57-all. After two empty offensive trips for Augustana, the Thunder's Kelly Lawson scored in the lane at the 3:18 mark to give her team its first lead of the night. Wheaton scored the next eight points as well, closing the contest on a 14-0 run over the last six minutes. Augustana was held scoreless for the final 7:13.
 
Junior Kaycee Kallenberger (Pleasant Valley HS, Bettendorf, Iowa) scored six points as the visitors jumped to a 14-4 lead seven minutes in. The Vikings' lead was still 18-13 after the first quarter.
 
The Thunder trimmed the deficit to one point on three occasions in the second period, but Augustana held them off each time. The Vikings went on a 10-2 run to extend the margin to 35-26 with 2:49 to play in the first half. A Victoria Allen (Eureka HS, Wildwood, Mo.) three-pointer capped the spurt. However, the hosts closed the half with a 9-2 run to get within 37-35 at the break.
 
Augustana continued to fight off Wheaton challenges in the third. A pair of Izzy Anderson (Alleman HS, Rock Island, Ill.) free throws pushed the advantage back to nine points (36-37) with 7:24 left and another Allen trey equaled that margin (49-40) midway through the period. The lead was still 55-48 heading to the fourth quarter, but an Olivia Mayer (Libertyville HS, Green Oaks, Ill.) layup with 7:14 to play accounted for the only Viking points of the final stanza.
 
Senior Marissa Pezzopane (Addison Trail HS, Wood Dale, Ill.) led Augustana with 12 points, giving her 1,108 for her career. That total is eighth-best in school history, one point behind Molly Etheridge (2010-14) and Mary Kay Herman (1983-87). Kallenberger added 11 points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. Allen had eight points and three steals and Mayer added six points and a game-high six assists.
 
Katie McDaniels led Wheaton with 22 points. Considine snagged a game-high 10 rebounds.
 
The Vikings outshot the Thunder .442 (23-52) to .382 (21-55) from the field, but couldn't overcome  deficits of 20-7 in successful free throws, 37-31 in rebounds and 24-16 in turnovers.