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Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

Box Score

Feb. 19, 2011 - A late scoring drought proved to be deadly for the North Central College women's basketball team on Saturday, as Augustana College spoiled the Cardinals' Senior Night celebration and made off with a 77-65 victory at Gregory Arena.

Leading, 62-59, with 6:10 to play, North Central (8-17, 4-10 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) appeared poised to engage in a fight to the finish against the Vikings. However, the Cardinals scored just three more points down the stretch and missed their last five shots while Augustana made eight consecutive free throws in the final 34 seconds to seal the win.

Augustana (7-17, 3-10 CCIW) scored nine of the first 11 points of the contest and led until 3:36 remained in the first period, when a run of five straight points gave the Cardinals a 23-22 advantage. The Vikings responded with two straight baskets and stayed in front until heading into halftime with a 33-32 lead.

After surrendering a three-pointer on the first possession of the second period, North Central put up nine straight points, including seven straight from Emily Collins, to take its largest lead at 41-36. 

Six straight points from Augustana's Kristen Fox put the visitors back in front and launched a 13-0 run, vaulting the Vikings into a 49-41 advantage. North Central set to whittling down the lead once again, eventually tying the game at 54-54 on a layup by Sophie Newson and taking a 56-54 lead on a jumper by Christine Karl with 8:22 to go. The score was tied two more times before a Helen Muleya three-pointer put the Cardinals in front, 62-59.

The Vikings' Kristen Fox scored 10 points in a 18-3 game-closing run, and finished with game highs of 34 points and 13 rebounds. Molly Etheridge scored 16 points for Augustana.

Karl led the Cardinals with 17 points, while Jackie Errico totaled 14 points and 11 rebounds and Collins provided 10 points.