ROCK ISLAND -- The Augustana Vikings women's basketball team will stay in the Quads Cities to host the North Central Cardinals on Wednesday, January 10.

The Vikings are back in action after falling to No. 13 Illinois Wesleyan at home on Sunday, which concluded in a 98-58 final score.  The game started with a close battle as both teams went back-and-forth for the first four minutes of play. Leading by a point at 12-11, the Titans pulled away from the Vikings with a 15-0 run over two minutes. The second quarter was the highest scoring frame from both teams, but the Titans continued to stretch their margin with a 27-18 advantage and led 61-33 at the break.

Returning to the court, the Vikings tallied the first six points of the third quarter and hit 7-11 shots for a percentage of 64, but the visitors stayed hot from three-point range, hitting five in the quarter to help stretch their lead more. The final quarter was low scoring for both teams with a 13-12 margin, with the Vikings holding the Titans under 30 percent shooting through the last 10 minutes. 

North Central enters the mid-week contest with an 8-7 overall record and sits at 3-3 in conference play. The Cardinals currently hold a three-game win streak as they just conquered a conference victory against the Elmhurst Bluejays on Saturday, which wrapped up with a 86-79 score. As a team, the Cardinals shot 46.4 percent, while holding Elmhurst to 38.5 percent for the game. North Central boasts four players averaging double figures in scoring, led by Jocelyn Trotter with a total of 32 points. The Cardinals are 3-4 on the road, which dates back to December with a 70-63 defeat from Wheaton.

North Central holds a 54-25 all-time record over Augie. The Vikings were 2-0 during the 2022-23 season against the Cardinals. The last matchup was on February 15, where Augie achieved a 83-57 triumph. Carly Stone and Cali Papez collected a double-double in the win. 

Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.