Box Score

KENOSHA, Wis. – Augustana's rally from a 15-point second-half deficit came up short Saturday, as Carthage defeated the Vikings 74-67 at Tarble Arena. The Vikings fell to 5-2 on the season and 1-1 in the CCIW, while the host Lady Reds improved to 5-3 overall and 1-2 in the league.
 
In a contest where Augustana outscored Carthage in three of four periods, a second-quarter lapse proved fatal. The Lady Reds outscored Coach Mark Beinborn's club 24-12 to take a 41-30 lead to the locker room at halftime.
 
The hosts extended the advantage to 51-36 on an Autumn Kalis three-pointer with 4:33 to play in the third quarter. Junior Scooter Lopez (Mountain Vista HS, Highlands Ranch, Colo.) scored six points as the Vikings trimmed the deficit to 54-46 at the one-minute mark. After Madie Kaelber drained a Lady Red three, freshman Justice Edell (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) hit a pair of free throws to pull her team to within 57-48 heading to the fourth quarter.
 
With 6:35 to play, sophomore Alexis Jones (Marist HS, Chicago, Ill.) scored to cut the deficit to 59-53—as close as Augustana had been since late in the second quarter. The Carthage advantage bounced between six and eight points until two Edell free throws trimmed it to 62-57 with 3:57 left.
 
The teams traded buckets for three and a half minutes until junior Izzy Anderson (Alleman HS, Rock Island, Ill.) drilled a three-pointer from the top of the key with 23 seconds left that got the Vikings to within four (70-66). However, Kaelber and Bailey Gilbert each knocked down a pair of free throws in the final 20 seconds to ice the victory.
 
After the Lady Reds jumped in front 6-0, Junior Clare Kramer (Prophetstown HS, Lyndon, Ill.) scored five points and Anderson four as Beinborn's bunch took the lead. A Meghan Stovall (Broomfield HS, Broomfield, Colo.) three-pointer gave Augustana an 18-14 lead with 1:18 left in the first, but Kaelber answered with one of her own to make it 18-17 Vikings after one period.
 
Kaelber opened the fateful second quarter with a deuce and a trey to give her team a 22-18 advantage. A Kalis three made it 32-24 Carthage, but the last of four straight Anderson free throws sliced the margin to 32-30 with 2:48 left in the half. Kaelber had an answer again, as she hit another three and two. Morgan Harris' two freebies in the last minute gave the hosts a 41-30 advantage at the half.
 
Augustana couldn't overcome a .279 shooting performance from the floor. The Vikings hit just 19 of 68 field goal attempts and just five of 22 (.227) from beyond the arc. They did convert 24 of 31 (.774) tries from the free throw line. The Lady Reds hit 24 of 58 (.414) from the field, but nine of 21 (.429) from three point range and 17 of 22 (.773) from the foul line. Augustana committed just seven turnovers to 16 for Carthage, but lost the battle of the boards by a 47-43 count.
 
Individually, Anderson led the way with 17 points. Kramer added 13 off the bench and Jones came off the pine to contribute a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds. Kaelber dropped in 32 for the Lady Reds and Rachel Szydlowski added 13 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
 
Beinborn's crew will be back in action on Wednesday, December 13 at Carver Center. The Vikings host Dubuque with tipoff scheduled for 5:00 p.m.