#12 Wayne State 71 Augustana 57

            Wayne State College used a 23 point, 14 rebound outing from senior forward Jordan Spencer and a 13-0 run late in the game as the 12^th-ranked Wildcats pulled away for a 71-57 win at Augustana College Monday evening in the Northern Sun Conference opener for both teams at the Sioux Falls Arena.  The Wildcats are now 5-0 on the season and 1-0 in league play while Augustana drops to 4-1 and 0-1 in the NSIC.
            Entering the game as the NSIC's highest scoring team at 90.5 points per game, Wayne State held the Vikings to just 57 points while holding Augustana to just 31 percent shooting in the contest.
            The game was close until the Wildcats used a 13-0 run over a three minute span following the midway point of the second half to pull away for the win.
            A tightly contested first half saw five ties and four lead changes.  After WSC jumped out to an early 9-4 lead, Augustana stormed back and took their first lead of the game at 13-12.  The final lead of the game for the Vikings came a 20-19 with 9:16 to go in the first half.  Wayne State's Millie Niggeling drained a 3-pointer to put the 'Cats ahead 22-20. 
            The Vikings forged the fifth and final tie of the game at 24-24 with 3:50 to play in the half, then WSC used a pair of Alex Nelson free throws, a free throw from Sadie Murren and a pair of baskets by Jordan Spencer to take a 31-26 lead at intermission.
            Wayne State started strong in the second half and took their first double digit lead of the night at 40-30 on a Maggie Schulte trey with 17:03 remaining. 
            After WSC took a 12-point lead at 48-36, Augustana made their last run at the Wildcats and pulled within one at 48-47 with 8:49 to play.
            But WSC responded with a 13-0 run over the next 3:05, highlighted by 3-pointers from Schulte and Niggeling, a Niggeling layup and three free throws by Schulte, to put the 'Cats in front 61-47 following a Katie Hoskins layup with 6:07 to play.  Augustana never got closer than 10 points the rest of the night as Wayne State went on to the 71-57 win.
            Wayne State was led in scoring by senior forward Jordan Spencer with a game-high 23 points to go with 14 rebounds for her first double-double of the season.  The 14 rebounds were also a career-high for Spencer.  Senior forward Millie Niggeling added 18 points along with six rebounds while Wynot freshman Maggie Schulte poured in a season-high 15 points on 4 of 8 shooting and a perfect 5 for 5 at the foul stripe.
            The Wildcats made 23 of 50 shots in the game for 46 percent, including 6 for 20 from 3-point range.  WSC shot a season-best 86.4 percent from the foul line on 19 of 22.
            Senior guard Shaunteva Ashley led Augustana with 15 points while Paige Peterson also reached double digits with 12.  The Vikings were 23 of 74 shooting for 31.1 percent, 5 of 23 from the 3-point line and just 6 of 9 at the free throw stripe.
            Augustana College had one more rebound than Wayne State 41-40.  Spencer led WSC on the glass with 14 caroms followed by Schulte and Niggeling with six apiece while Augustana's top rebounder was Ashley with eight.
            WSC had 14 turnovers in the game to nine by Augustana.  Jordan Spencer handed out a career-high five assists for the Wildcats.
            Wayne State will return to action Friday evening hosting Peru State in a 6 p.m. non-conference game at Rice Auditorium in Wayne.