ROCK ISLAND – The Augustana women's basketball team secured a thrilling overtime victory in their first conference matchup of the season on Wednesday, defeating the visiting Wheaton Thunder by a score of 65-63 from inside the Carver Center.
It was a slow start offensively for Augie, with six Viking turnovers offering limited scoring production in the opening quarter.
Corey Whitlock registered four of Augie's nine points in the first period, both off of baseline jump shots. The second quarter saw a similar efficiency for the Vikings, putting in just 4-14 attempts to shoot at a collective 32 percent clip in the half. Augie trailed 29-19 after 20 minutes of action.
Augie sliced into Wheaton's lead early in the third period, cutting the deficit to just three with 5:04 remaining.
Emily Brenneisen dropped in a pair of shots from deep to help the Vikings get closer. The Thunder responded with an 8-0 run in the middle of the frame, capitalizing on a cold shooting spree from the Vikings. Augie trimmed the deficit slightly with a positive quarter, trailing Wheaton by seven at 45-38 entering the fourth quarter.
The two teams traded points early in the fourth frame before a three-minute scoreless span from both teams. Augie then snatched the lead for the first time in over 25 minutes off of a Stone three-pointer and
Gabriela Loiz fast break layup. The Thunder retook a three-point lead following a trip to the line and a layup from Annika Richardson.
The Vikings saw two-point makes from Loiz and Whitlock to even the contest at 56-56. With three seconds remaining and a chance to dagger the Vikings, Wheaton took a timeout with the score knotted up. On the inbounds pass, Brenneisen knocked the ball out of the Thunder's grasp and into the hands of
Presley Case to send the contest to overtime.
The Vikings never trailed in the extra session after an opening possession jumper from Whitlock that put Augie ahead. The two teams exchanged scores in the frame, but strong defense and a Case free throw with three seconds remaining secured the Vikings their best start since the 2016-17 season.
Whitlock played the hero role for the Vikings late, dropping in tough baskets on her way to a double-digit scoring effort. Case posted an all-around performance that included seven points, eight rebounds, and four takeaways. Brenneisen led the scoring effort for the Vikings, dropping in 15 points and shooting 3-6 from deep. Loiz also added 11 points, all in the third and fourth quarters.
The Vikings move to 6-1 and 1-0 in the CCIW with the win. Augie will face Millikin to close an early-season six-game home stretch on Saturday, December 3. Start time is scheduled for 5 p.m. from inside the Roy J. Carver Center.
