MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Seventeenth-ranked Augsburg University had four scorers in double figures and pulled away in the second half to defeat the St. Olaf College women's basketball team, 76-49, on Wednesday evening at Skoglund Center.
Aiza Wilson and Tamira McLemore scored 15 points apiece, Camryn Speese had 13 and Nicole Zielsdorf added 12 off the bench for Augsburg (13-3, 9-2 MIAC), which made 13 three-pointers in the win. Senior Brittan Koenen matched her season high with 15 points to pace St. Olaf (7-9, 4-7 MIAC).
All 27 of Wilson and Zielsdorf's points came from behind the arc, as Wilson connected on five three-pointers and Zielsdorf made four off the bench. The Auggies outscored the Oles by a 39-6 margin long distance and forced 34 turnovers in the win.
Augsburg led by just seven, 36-29, at the half before doubling up St. Olaf, 40-20, in the second half. The Auggies scored 34 points off St. Olaf turnovers and tallied 23 second-chance points during the game.
The Oles closed the opening quarter on a 9-2 run to take a 17-14 lead after 10 minutes. After trailing 14-11, the Oles scored the final six points of the quarter on a pair of layups by first year
Rachel Kelly on either side of one by senior
Britta Koenen.
In the second, St. Olaf scored eight of the first 11 points to open up a 25-17 lead two minutes in. Down 27-20, Augsburg made three three-pointers as part of a 12-0 run to reclaim the lead and took a 36-29 lead at the half. The Auggies shot 8-for-18 (44.4 percent) from behind the arc in the opening half.
Wilson connected on two three-pointers in the first three minutes of the third quarter to push the visitors' lead to double digits, 42-31, with 7:08 to go. The Oles scored the next four points to cut it to seven with 3:50 remaining in the quarter, but that was as close as they would get the rest of the game.
In addition to Koenen's 15 points, first year
Rachel Kelly contributed 10 points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal off the bench. Kelly has scored in double figures in 11 of 14 games to start her career.
St. Olaf hosts Saint Mary's University on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 3 p.m. in its second of three-straight home games.
