Viking women knock off #16 south dakota 66-64; winning streak reaches 17 games - augustana university athletics

Box Score ALISON ADAMSON made 2 free throws with 8 seconds remaining to help lift Augustana to a 66-64 North Central Conference victory over No. 16 South Dakota Saturday night at the

DakotaDome. The win extended the Vikings' school-record winning streak to 17 games and it snapped a 7-game losing streak in the DakotaDome. Augustana improved to 17-2 overall and 2-0 in

the NCC. South Dakota, meanwhile, fell to 13-2 overall and 0-1 in the NCC. Adamson's heroics capped a late rally by the Vikings. Augie trailed 57-49 with 6 minutes to play before

reeling off 6 straight points to close within 1 at 57-56 with 4:40 to play. WHITNEY HOFER later added a pair of free throws with 1:47 left to give the Vikings a 62-61 lead, its first lead

since leading 41-39 with 13:38 to play. On USD's next possession, Ashley Robinette was fouled by Adamson on a 3-point shot. Robinette made all 3 free throws to give the Coyotes a 64-62

lead with 1:26 on the clock. Augie's ANDREA WALSH, a freshman from nearby Yankton, S.D., answered with 2 free throws to tie the score 64-64 with just over 1 minute to play. USD failed

to score on its next possession and the Vikings tried to work for the final shot. But Adamson was fouled by Shannon Daly. After Adamson's free throws, USD had a final chance to win the

game, but Jenna Hoffman's 3-pointer missed the mark. Augustana controlled the first half, combining an efficient offense with tenacious defense. The Vikings shot 46 percent from the

field, making 12 of 26 shots. Meanwhile, South Dakota shot only 8 of 27 (30 percent), including 1 of 10 from 3-point range. The Vikings trailed early 6-4 before outscoring the Coyotes 10-2

to take a 14-8 lead with 9:17 left in the half. After USD scored 4 straight points to make it a 14-12 score, the Vikings reeled off 7 unanswered points to take its largest lead of the half

at 21-12 with 6:07 to play in the half. The Vikings led 27-18. The Vikings kept up the pressure to start the second half, making 5 of their first 8 shots as they opened up a 39-24 advantage

with 16:12 to play in the game. But South Dakota roared back. The Coyotes scored 12 straight points during a 20-2 run that gave the hostes a 44-41 lead with 11:27 remaining to play.

Augustana tied the game 44-44 on a 3-pointer by Walsh at 11:08, the Vikings' first field goal in a 5-minute span. After that, USD went on a 12-5 spurt to boost its lead to 57-49 with 6

minutes to play, setting the stage for the wild finish. The Vikings managed to outshoot USD for the game. Augie shots 47 percent from the field, making 25 of 53 attempts. The Vikings were

also 39 percent (5 of 13) from 3-point range and 11 of 14 (79 percent) from the charity stripe. South Dakota, meanwhile, shot 38 percent (21 of 55) from the floor, 24 percent (5 of 21) from

3-point range and 71 percent (17 of 24) from the free throw line. Adamson finished with 21 points, matching her season high, to lead all scorers. Walsh and ASHLEY HOLIDAY, who were both held

scoreless in the first half, joined her in double figures. Walsh finished with 15 points, while Holiday added 11 to go along with a game-high 7 rebounds. Adamson also had 5 rebounds, 4

assists and 0 turnovers from her point guard position. Robinette led USD with 18 points, while Yoerger and Daly added 14 and 10 points, respectively. The Vikings return home next week for a

pair of NCC contests. On Thursday, Augustana entertains Minnesota-Duluth before playing host to St. Cloud State on Saturday. Both games tip off at 6 p.m. at the Sioux Falls Arena. Print

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