ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana held off a furious Illinois Wesleyan rally to defeat the 22^nd ranked Titans 86-80 in College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin women's basketball action on Sunday, December 15 in the Carver Center. Head coach Mark Beinborn's team took a commanding 15 point lead (84-69) with just 2:31 left in the contest and then withstood a frantic push by the visitors down the stretch.
 
When senior Alexis Jones (Marist HS, Chicago, Ill.) scored on a layup with 2:31 to go it looked like the Vikings had sealed their first win over Illinois Wesleyan since an 83-73 victory in 2016-17. Jones, who would end the afternoon with a team high 24 points and 14 rebounds, gave the Vikings an 84-69 advantage.
 
Over the next 2:11, however, the Titans would go on an 11-0 run to trim the margin to 84-80 with just :20 remaining. During that spurt the Titans converted on two conventional three point plays and scored five points from the free throw line with the clock stopped.
 
With just :20 remaining Illinois Wesleyan's Kendall Sosa scored and was fouled. She made the free throw to trim the margin to 84-80. The Vikings inbounded the ball to junior point guard Justice Edell (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) and she made one of two free throws to make it 85-80. An Illinois Wesleyan miss on the ensuing possession was rebounded by sophomore Lauren Hall (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) and Hall also made one of two free throws with just :11 left to account for the final score.
 
Augustana jumped out to a 27-21 lead after the first quarter and held a 40-36 advantage at halftime. Heading into the fourth quarter the Vikings were in front by five points (64-59) thanks to a basket by Jones that just beat the buzzer ending the third period.
 
With 9:45 left the Titans Sydney Shanks made one of two free throws to cut the lead to 64-60. Jones scored the next four Augustana points and freshman Macy Beinborn (Pleasant Valley HS, Bettendorf, Iowa) drilled a three with 7:17 left and scored on a nifty back-door cut with 6:19 to play to give the Vikings a 10 point advantage (73-63).
 
After IWU's Brooke Lansford hit a three point field goal with 5:59 left, senior Mia Lambert (Macomb HS, Macomb, Ill.) answered with a three of her own to make it a 10-point lead again (76-66) with 5:44 to play. Jones scored at 3:58 and senior Jeni Crain (Woodstock HS, Woodstock, Ill.) roared in for a fast-break layup with 3:42 to make it 80-66. Crain also scored at 3:09 to make it 82-69 and Jones added the basket at 2:31 to make it 84-69.
 
That was when the Titans went on their 11-0 run to trim the margin to four before Edell and Hall hit single free throws to account for the final margin of 86-80.
 
Jones scored 24 points on 10 of 17 from the field and she added four of five from the free throw line. She also hauled down 14 rebounds, had six steals and five rebounds. She was joined in double figures by Edell with 16, Hall with 14 and Beinborn with 12.
 
The Vikings held a 47-39 advantage in the rebound department as Hall joined Jones in double figures with 10.
 
Illinois Wesleyan had 29 points from Kendall Sosa while Riley Brovelli scored 15 and Lansford had 12 and Shanks 10.
 
Augustana moved to 6-5 on the season and 2-1 in the CCIW while Illinois Wesleyan fell to 8-3 overall and 2-1 in league play. The Vikings will not be in action again until Monday, December 30 at home against Coe with a 7:00 p.m. tip-off.