NAPERVILLE, Ill. – Augustana's shooting percentage was as cold as the Midwestern temperature in a 58-49 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin loss to North Central on Wednesday, January 23 in Naperville, Illinois. The Vikings shot just .313 (20-64) from the field and only made one of 21 shots (.048) from three point range. Head coach Mark Beinborn's team could also manage to make just eight of 17 from the free throw line (.471).
 
Senior Izzy Anderson (Alleman Catholic HS, Rock Island, Ill.) etched her name in the record book in the loss. She converted on seven of eight free throws and eclipsed the career record for free throws made. The old mark was 292 set by Dawn Crosby from 1979-83. Anderson now has 294 free throws and counting.
 
Augustana led just once and that was 4-3 in the game's first two minutes when junior Alexis Jones (Marist HS, Chicago, Ill.) scored on a layup. The Vikings trailed by six (18-12) at the end of the first quarter and by eight (28-20) at halftime. By the end of the third quarter the lead for North Central ballooned to 11 (42-31).
 
A 9-2 run late in the game gave Augustana a glimmer of hope. With 4:04 remaining senior Sadie Roberts (United Township HS, East Moline, Ill.) scored to make with 49-40 and then Anderson scored to make it 49-42 at the 3:23 mark. Anderson's two free throws with 2:46 remaining cut the lead to 51-44.
 
A North Central basket by Natali Dimitrova pushed it back up to seven (51-44) with 2:22 to play. Jones nailed Augustana's only three point basket of the evening at 1:51 to trim the margin to four (51-47).
 
Over the final 1:19 the Cardinals made seven of eight free throws and ended the game on a 7-2 run to account for the final score.
 
Anderson led the Vikings in scoring with 17 points and Jones joined her in double figures with 15 points. Those were the only two Augustana players to finish in double digits.  Jones led the team in rebounding with eight but the visitors were on the wrong end of a 51-36 count in that category.
 
Senior Scooter Lopez (Mountain Vista HS, Highlands Ranch, Colo.) chipped in with five assists.
 
Dimitrova led North Central in scoring with 16 points and she was the only Cardinal in double figures. North Central survived 24 turnovers in the game.
 
Augustana is now 11-8 overall and 5-5 in the CCIW while North Central moved to 5-14 and 3-7. The Vikings will play at Carroll in Waukesha, Wisconsin on Saturday, January 26 with tip-off set for 2:00 p.m.