Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – A quick start was just the tonic Augustana needed on Saturday, January 6 in an 86-68 win over Millikin in the Carver Center. The Vikings, who were coming off a 45 point loss to Illinois Wesleyan just three days earlier, made a statement early in the this College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin battle.
 
In the first quarter Augustana was leading by just four points (9-5) in the early going (5:42) when the Vikings went on a 17-7 run to close out the stanza. Sophomore Alexis Jones (Marist HS, Chicago, Ill.) hit one of two free throws to get things going and then Scooter Lopez (Mountain Vista HS, Highlands Ranch, Colo.) tossed in a three point field goal at 4:02 to make it 13-5. Millikin got a three point field goal from Cassie Somers at 3:11 to make it 13-8 but freshman Justice Edell (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) made a conventional three-point play to bump the margin to 16-8 at 3:02.
 
A basket by senior Victoria Allen (Eureka HS, Wildwood, Mo.) made it 18-10 with 2:28 and then Jones hit two three point field goals sandwiched around a Clare Kramer (Prophetstown HS, Lyndon, Ill.) basket and the lead was up to 26-10 before an Emily Schultz basket ended the scoreless stretch for the Big Blue.
 
The Vikings got the lead to 20 points (39-19) late in the second quarter and in the second half it got to 24 points on two separate occasions. Millikin never threatened to get the margin into single digits in the final 20 minutes of play.
 
Balanced scoring was the answer for Augustana as a total of five players were in double digits with senior Meghan Stovall (Broomfield HS, Broomfield, Colo.) and Jones each had 15 points. Lopez and Allen scored 12 apiece and Edell tallied 10. The Vikings shot the ball extremely well as they hit .533 (32-60) from the floor for the game. They were especially deadly in the second half, going 16 of 29 (.552).
 
Augustana had 24 assists on 32 field goals in the game with Allen notching a game-high nine and Lopez picking up six. The Viking defense forced Millikin to turn the ball over 31 times.
 
Junior Izzy Anderson (Alleman Catholic HS, Rock Island, Ill.), normally the Vikings leading scorer, was held to eight points but she led the way with six rebounds.
 
Millikin go 16 points from Emily Schultz and 14 from Jordan Hildebrand.
 
Augustana is now 9-4 on the season and2-2 in the CCIW while Millikin falls to 5-9 and 0-5. The Vikings will be in action again on Wednesday, January 10 at Wheaton.