ROCK ISLAND, IL - The Benedictine University women's basketball team opened the season with a win in the Augustana College Hyatt Place Tournament, taking down the hosts.

FINAL SCORE
Benedictine 74, Augustana 69

THE DETAILS
• Augustana led 15-8 midway through the opening quarter as both teams struggled to settle in to the season opener
• The lead for the hosts reached eight with 1:37 to play in the quarter and Augustana headed to the second in front 23-16, limiting Benedictine to just four field goals
• Claire Gibler knocked down a three-pointer early in the second to draw Benedictine within 25-23
• Augustana scored fie in a row to moved ahead by seven again at 30-23
• Another three from Gibler ignited a 12-0 run as Benedictine opened a 35-30 led on a jumper from Allison Michalski with 2:48 left in the half
• Augustana came back to tie the game, but Benedictine went into the break leading 39-36
• Benedictine twice led by nine points in the third and entered the fourth up 55-50 after leading the entire quarter
• The fourth was tight throughout after the hosts used a 7-0 run to take the lead
• Augustana led 69-68 in the final minute but did not score again
• Alec Fanning made two free throws with 37 seconds to go and then two more with seven seconds remaining to ice the win
• The season opener for both teams featured seven ties and 13 lead changes
• Benedictine received a vote in the D3hoops.com Preseason Top 25

STAT LEADERS
• Benedictine overcame a 53-36 deficit on the glass after outrebounding nearly every opponent in the record-setting 2018-19 campaign
• Benedictine shot 63 percent in the second quarter and finished the game shooting 44.7 percent from the field
• Michalski led all scorers with 20 points and was one of four players from Benedictine to score in double figures
• Gibler tallied 15 points, draining four three-pointers
• Fanning, the D3hoops.com Rookie of the Year last season, scored 14 points, 10 from the line, and added 11 rebounds in her first double-double of the year
• Britney Pitzer finished with 11 points while Hanna Piro dished five assists

UP NEXT
Benedictine (1-0) faces a stiff test in the championship game at 4:00 on Saturday against #6 Hope.
PLEASE NOTE: SINCE THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME DOES NOT INVOLVE THE HOST SCHOOL, ONLY LIVE STATS WILL BE AVAILABLE; NO VIDEO