KENOSHA, Wis. – Augustana dropped a double overtime thriller to Carthage in College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin women's basketball action on Saturday night by a score of 90-84 in the Tarble Arena in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The Vikings overcame a sluggish early portion of the game and rode the hot hand of freshman Gabriela Loiz (Alleman Catholic HS, Davenport, Iowa) in the second half and overtime and nearly came away with an important road victory.
 
Loiz led Augustana with a career high 32 points despite the fact that she had just four in the first half. She scored 28 points in the second half and the overtime.
 
Carthage got the jump on head coach Mark Beinborn's team in the early going, breaking out to a 10 point (13-3) lead with the game barely six minutes old. At the end of the first quarter the homestanding Lady Reds held an 18-9 advantage. By halftime the Carthage lead had grown to 11 points 34-23 as the Vikings were hampered by a .258 (8-31) shooting percentage from the floor, including a three of 16 (.188) performance from three point range. The Vikings never did find the mark from beyond the arc, shooting .195 (8-41).
 
After intermission, however, Loiz nailed back-to-back three pointers to trim the margin to five (34-29). Carthage still led by 10 (46-36) with 4:26 left in the third quarter when Augustana went on a 14-6 run to close out the period. Sophomore Lauren Hall (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) scored five points in the burst and senior Alexis Jones (Marist HS, Chicago, Ill.) closed out the quarter with a basket near the buzzer to head into the final 10 minutes trailing by just two (52-50).
 
Loiz hit a three point field goal with :16 left in regulation give the Vikings a 68-64 lead but with :08 left on the clock Carthage's Sammi Woodward drained a three point field goal to cut the lead to one (68-67). The Lady Reds fouled senior Jeni Crain (Woodstock HS, Woodstock, Ill.) on the inbounds play and Crain made one of two free throws. Carthage's Autumn Kalis scored at the buzzer to send the game into overtime with the score tied 69-69.
 
In the first overtime Loiz tied the game at 77-77 with 1:02 left and neither team could score in the final minute.
 
The Lady Reds made six of eight free throws in the final two minutes of the second overtime after the score was tied 82-82 after Loiz made a three pointer with 2:15 left. Kalis scored six points in the final 1:09 to help Carthage secure the 90-84 victory.
 
Loiz was good on 12 of 21 field goals, including four of nine from three point range and she connected on four of five from the free throw line for her 32 points. She also had seven rebounds and a steal. Hall scored 15 points and hauled in nine rebounds with two assists and two steals while Jones had 13 points and a game-high 19 rebounds with an assist and two steals.
 
Augustana won the rebounding battle by a margin of 53-44.
 
Carthage got 31 points from Woodward and 27 out of Kalis.
 
With the loss the Vikings drop to 7-6 overall and 2-2 in the CCIW while Carthage moves to 7-5 and 2-1. Augustana will be in action again on Wednesday, January 8 at home against Elmhurst with tip off set for 7:00 p.m.