NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- The Augustana Vikings women's basketball team travels to the home of the North Central Cardinals on Wednesday, February 7.
The Vikings sit at 12-10 on the season and 7-6 in conference play. Augie returns to action after fending off Carthage on Saturday with a 78-68 final score. The Vikings got on the board first with a 11-0 run in the first three minutes of action. Augie doubled the score after a jump shot from Cali Papez to make the score 18-9 at 3:59. The Vikings maintained their momentum and closed out the first quarter with two shots from the charity stripe by Mariola Tesoro to move into the second with a score of 20-13.
The Firebirds outscored the Vikings in the second with a 20-17 margin, but Augie maintained the lead with a score of 37-33. Emma Berg led the Vikings with 15 points and Corey Whitlock had 11 rebounds after 20 minutes of action.
In a neck-to-neck third quarter, Augie kept the advantage until a set of free throws by the Firebirds evened the score at 49-49 at 2:35. A jumper from Whitlock brought the lead back to the Vikings' favor, but Carthage claimed the final five points of the quarter to bring things back to a tie heading into the final period.
In the final quarter, the Firebirds tied the score at 56-56 at 9:42 and took a two-point advantage until a layup from Whitlock evened the score back to 58-58. With just over four minutes remaining, the Vikings went on a 7-0 run to increase the gap to 10 points before converting 7-8 shots from the charity stripe in the final minute to secure the 78-68 victory. Four Vikings secured double-digit points in the win, with Whitlock leading the way with a double-double with 20 points, 17 rebounds, and three blocks. Berg had 15 points, while Kadence Tatum posted 13 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Macy Beinborn also added 11 points.
North Central enters the mid-week contest with a 11-10 overall record and sits at 6-6 in conference play. The Cardinals return to play after falling to Elmhurst on Saturday by a score of 60-55. As a team, North Central shot 33.3 percent, while Elmhurst obtained 34.9 percent for the game. The Cardinals boast three players averaging double figures in scoring, led by Elle Sutter with 13.5 points per game. North Central holds a 7-3 record at home, with their last matchup being the loss against Elmhurst.
Augie holds a 48-37 all-time record over the Cardinals, with their most recent outing on January 10, where the Vikings earned a 67-59 victory. Papez earned a double-double with 24 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks. Carly Stone and Berg both grabbed 11 points, while Whitlock added 12 boards.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the live stream can be found here.
