ROCK ISLAND – The Augustana women's basketball team earned a tight 75-72 victory over the Illinois Wesleyan Titans on Saturday to remain in third place in the CCIW.
The opening period gave viewers a glimpse of the back-and-forth competition that would ensue between the two programs for the entirety of the contest. With seven points, Gabriela Loiz contributed more than half of Augie's total points in the opening frame. The Vikings trailed by two entering the second quarter but got help from Cali Papez as she established her presence in the paint, scoring eight points and bringing down three rebounds. Presley Case's two-point stepback jumper tied the score for Augie around the 3:30 mark and the Vikings maintained their momentum through the rest of the half, securing a one-point advantage entering the locker room. Augustana shot an impressive 10-13 from the field, thier best shooting quarter of the night.
The two sides continued to match each other's intensity out of the halftime break. Macy Beinborn scored eight points for the Vikings, while Emma Berg finished with seven of her own to help Augie cushion their advantage. With a four-point advantage entering the final period, Augie stretched their lead out to as many as six on three different occasions, using their defense to force five Illinois Wesleyan turnovers in the quarter. The Titans charged back late and saw a chance to tie the game with under a second remaining, but could not get a shot off as the Vikings escaped with the three-point win.
Four Vikings eclipsed double figures in the conference battle, led by Loiz's 16-point effort. Beinborn scored 13, followed by Berg with 12 and Papez with 10. On the glass, Loiz and Case led the way with six rebounds apiece. The Augie bench continued to build upon their performance against Elmhurst on Wednesday, outscoring the Titans' bench 26-15.
With the victory, Augustana improves to 13-7 overall and 7-4 in conference play. The Vikings maintain their third-place standing in the conference and will face the team they are currently tied with, the Wheaton Thunder, on Wednesday, February 1. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. from King Arena.
