ROCK ISLAND – Augustana women's basketball dropped their first game of the 2022 season on Saturday in the Hyatt Place Tournament, falling to the No. 22 ranked UW-Oshkosh Titans by a score of 64-49 inside the Carver Center.
The Vikings were on the back foot early, seeing the Titans run out to a 12-0 advantage before grabbing their first basket of the evening. The Titans found 10 points off turnovers in the quarter, a primary contributor to the Vikings' early woes. Oshkosh led 20-8 after one period of play. Oshkosh continued their momentum early in the second quarter to give them their largest lead of the half at 19 before taking a 38-22 lead into halftime.
Augustana was dominant on the defensive side of the ball in the third quarter, allowing just 11 points on 21 percent shooting from the Titans. Offensively, the Vikings continued to struggle to hit shots, mustering just four points as they saw the Titans extend their lead to 23 after three quarters.
Augie's fourth quarter proved to be a different story, outscoring the Titans by a 23-15 margin. The Vikings shot at a 58 percent clip in the quarter, their highest of the night. Gabriela Loiz led the way for Augie, shooting 5-6 on her way to an 11-point final period. The Vikings also got their three-point shooting going, shooting 60 percent on five-shot attempts. A late three from the Titans halted an Augie comeback attempt after the Vikings went on an 18-5 run to open the period.
The Vikings were led in scoring by Loiz, who dropped 19 points. Loiz earned a spot on the all-tournament team with her efforts across Friday and Saturday. Kadence Tatum provided a spark off of the bench in the second half, finishing with seven points, four rebounds, and three assists. Augie also saw success on the glass as Corey Whitlock hauled in nine boards, while Cali Papez contributed eight. The Vikings led the contest in paint scoring by a 32-24 margin.
With the loss, the Vikings move to 3-1 and will face Colorado College on Monday, November 21 in their next outing. Start time is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. from the Roy J. Carver Center.
