FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Drew Sauer, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324

Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (Jan. 15, 2014) – The North Central College women's basketball team found itself on the wrong end of a back and forth contest Wednesday night at the Carver Center, falling to Augustana College, 101-91 in College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) action.
 
Augustana opened the contest running out to a quick 21-12 lead at the 12:34 mark of the opening half, as Molly Etheridge completed a three-point play to give the hosts an early nine-point lead.
 
The Cardinals (8-7, 1-3 CCIW) would answer right back with a 16-3 run, highlighted by five three-pointers including a pair from Lauren Hernandez, as well as long balls from Kelsey Cooling, Miranda Grizaffi and Kimberly Wilson to give North Central a 30-24 lead.
 
North Central took a 45-41 lead into the intermission, leading by as many as 10 points in the opening half connecting on 11 of 22 shooting from three-point range, while holding the Vikings (5-10, 1-3 CCIW) to just 37 percent shooting from the floor.
 
Leading 55-53 with just under 15 minutes to play, the game took a pivotal turn for the worse for North Central as a technical foul led to a pair of Augustana free throws.  On the next possession Etheridge nailed a jumper to give the Vikings a two-point lead.
 
The Vikings opened up an eight point lead over the next three and a half minutes, going on an 11-1 run and would secure the lead the remainder of the contest to earn its first conference victory, as North Central falls to 1-3 in CCIW play.
 
Hernandez paced the Cardinal offense with 14 points on 4 of 5 shooting from three.  Maryssa Cladis added 12 points, while Cooling and Wilson chipped in 10 apiece.  Sofia Svensson grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds off the bench for the Cardinals.
 
Etheridge finished the evening with a game-high 27 points on 7 of 17 shooting from the field for the Vikings, while connecting on 13 of 14 free-throws.  Chaney Tambling (14 points, 13 rebounds), Amy Hicks (12 points, 11 rebounds) and Andrea McNally (11 points, 10 rebounds) each added double-doubles.
 
North Central returns home Saturday, Jan. 18, hosting Elmhurst College at 5 pm.