ROCK ISLAND, Ill. - The Augustana women's basketball team notched its second straight victory with a 69-56 win over previously unbeaten Greenville on Tuesday, December 7 in Rock Island, Illinois. The Vikings scored the first basket of the game and led almost the entire night, raising the team's record to 2-5 overall this season.
After Greenville took its only lead of the contest at 3-2, junior Elizabeth Phillips knocked down back-to-back jumpers to put the Blue & Gold in front to stay. Senior Kristen Fox tallied the next four points as Augustana earned a 10-3 advantage at the 13:50 mark.
Phillips and Fox were joined by junior Natalie Runge and freshman Molly Etheridge in the scoring column during the first 20 minutes of play. Etheridge nailed a pair of three point field goals and led the charge with eight points while Fox contributed seven points. Phillips and Runge each added six points for the Vikings.
A Fox three pointer at the 7:49 mark pushed the Viking advantage to 10 (18-8), but Greenville responded with a 7-0 spurt to close within three (18-15) just a minute and a half later. Augustana fired right back with a 7-0 scoring spree of its own, capped by one of Etheridge's three point buckets, to regain the 10 point lead (25-15) with 3:20 remaining in the first half. Augustana closed the opening stanza with a 27-21 cushion.
Greenville had its best run of the evening in the opening minutes of the second half, using a 7-0 run to close within 33-32 at the 15:17 mark. This was as close as the Panthers would get the rest of the way with a 9-0 stretch from the Vikings giving the home team some breathing room at 42-32. Fox and Runge combined for all nine points during the Blue & Gold barrage.
Augustana led by 10 on three more occasions before taking its biggest lead of the night up to that point at 58-47 on a jumper from Runge at the 3:44 mark. Greenville had earlier pulled within four (50-46) at the 5:22 mark, but a three point play from sophomore Kristin Warnken pushed the gap back to seven 53-46) at the 4:55 mark.
A free throw from sophomore Warnken later extended the cushion to 13 (63-50) and a Runge free throw put the Vikings in front 64-50, the biggest deficit of the game for the Panthers, with just 1:19 to play. Warnken dropped in two more from the charity stripe in the final minute as Augustana finished off Greenville for the 13 point home victory.
Fox and Etheridge led the way with 16 points apiece. Runge was also in double figures with 13 points. Fox had a game-high 10 rebounds with Phillips adding eight points and eight boards. Warnken also contributed eight points and a team leading five assists.
The Vikings controlled the glass with a 50-40 advantage on the boards. A stingy Augustana defense also held the Panthers to 30.3 percent (20-66) shooting from the floor.
Augustana will have its third straight home contest when Buena Vista visits the Roy J. Carver Center on Saturday, December 11. The Blue & Gold will be looking for a third straight home victory.