ROCK ISLAND -- The Augustana Vikings women's basketball team returns to the Carver Center on Wednesday, January 31 to battle the Elmhurst Bluejays.

The Vikings sit at 11-9 on the season and 6-5 in conference play after falling to No. 11 Illinois Wesleyan by a score of 85-59 on Saturday. Illinois Wesleyan opened the gap with a 10-0 run to make it a 12-4 score, but the Vikings used a run of their own to catch back up and pull within a point at 16-15. Both teams collected six field goals in the opening frame, but Illinois Wesleyan grabbed four extra from the charity line to take an 18-15 lead into the second. A massive second frame from the Titans helped the home team pull away and bring a 49-25 advantage into halftime.

The Vikings inched closer with a 25-20 third-quarter margin after hitting 10-14 shots for 71.4 percent to go with three made threes, but the Titans made the difference back up with a 16-9 final period to conclude the game at its 26-point differential. Emma Berg led the Vikings with 19 points, while Paige Melton tallied eight points, four rebounds, three assists, and a steal. 

The Bluejays enter the mid-week contest with a 9-11 overall record, 3-8 in conference play, and return to action after overcoming Carthage 91-88 after three overtime periods on Saturday. As a team, Elmhurst shot 40.8 percent, while holding Carthage to 36.5 percent for the game. The Bluejays boast four players averaging double figures in points, led by Shanyce Makuei with 11.3 points. Elmhurst holds a 5-6 away record, with their last road game being on Saturday against Carthage.

Augie owns a 51-28 all-time record over the Bluejays, with their last matchup on January 4 concluding in a 69-67 victory for the Vikings. Cali Papez earned a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Vikings, also adding two assists and a block. Two other individuals grabbed double-digit points, with Macy Beinborn securing 15 and Berg adding 14. 

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.