ROCK ISLAND -- The Augustana Vikings women's basketball team hosts the Hyatt Place Tournament on Friday, November 15, and Saturday, November 16 for their home opener, where they host the Saint Mary's Belles, Edgewood Eagles, and Washington University Bears.
The Vikings return to action after falling to the UW-Platteville Pioneers on Wednesday by a score of 71-40. Augie hung around with the Pioneers after clamping three ties in the first quarter before Emma Berg ended the first quarter with a three-point buzzer-beater to secure the 16-14 lead. In the second quarter, the Vikings increased their lead to six but UW-Platteville converted a 10-point run to make a 33-23 game. Returning to the court, the Pioneers outscored the Vikings 23-9, with six of Augie's points coming from the free-throw line. UW-Platteville extended its lead to 24 points entering the final quarter. In the fourth, Augie took the upper hand in rebounds, snatching 11 from the glass but did not close the gap as the Pioneers took the game 71-40.
Berg led the way with 10 points and three rebounds, while Kadence Tatum followed with seven points and four rebounds.
On Friday, Augie will battle the Saint Mary's Belles, who are 1-1 this season, and return to action after winning 70-66 over Lake Forest last Saturday. Both teams were almost even until the start of the second half when the Belles led with a 14-point advantage. In the final 10 minutes of action, Saint Mary's fended off their opponent to secure their first win of the season. Julia Schutz led with 32 points and 17 rebounds, while Nicole Connolly notched 10 points. The Belles finished the 2023-24 season with a 1-12 away record with this matchup being their first road game of the season. Tomorrow's game will be the first time both teams meet.
Pending the outcomes of Friday's games, Augustana will either play the Edgewood Eagles or the Washington University Bears on Saturday. The winners of both contests on Friday will play in the championship on Saturday at 4 p.m., while the losers will play in the consolation affair at 2 p.m.
Washington University opens its 2024-25 season on Friday against the Edgewood Eagles after concluding last season with a 17-9 overall record, highlighted by a visit to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Bears return their top scorer from a season ago, Lexy Harris, who averaged 16.1 points per game and 7.4 rebounds. Washington University finished the 2023-24 season with an 8-1 away record. The Bears hold a 9-2 all-time series record over Augie, with their last matchup resulting in a 75-64 loss for the Vikings back in 2019.
Edgewood sits at 1-0 on the season after notching a 68-56 win over North Central (Minn.) on Saturday. The Eagles took the lead early and kept it throughout the game with Kallie Norby leading with 22 points and seven rebounds, while Vivian Guerrero notched a double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Edgewood finished last season with a 7-6 away record and is 1-0 so far this season. Augie holds a 3-0 all-time series record over the Eagles.
The Vikings' first game is slated to begin at 5 p.m.
