Augustana used 50 percent shooting following the first quarter to offset 18-point performances from Wayne State's Tenleigh Smith and Kylah vanDonkersgoed as the Vikings held on for a 74-68 NSIC women's basketball South Division win Saturday afternoon at the Elmen Center in Sioux Falls.  The host Vikings are now 5-9 overall and 2-6 in the league while the Wildcats have dropped seven straight games falling to 6-8 and 1-7 in NSIC play.
            After opening the game missing their first eight shots from the field, the Wildcats caught fire thanks to the play of graduate student guard Tenleigh Smith, who scorched the nets for 15 points in just a span of three minutes to close the first quarter giving Wayne State a 21-13 advantage.
            Trailing 5-4 with 4:48 to play in the half, Smith scored nine straight points in a span of 2:24 to give the 'Cats a 15-9 lead with 2:00 to play in the opening quarter.
            Smith then hit a pair of 3-pointers in just 17 seconds, ending the quarter with 15 points, and leading WSC to a 21-13 lead after one quarter.
            Both teams shot over 50 percent in the second quarter, but the Vikings outscored WSC 24-17 to cut the Wildcat lead to one at intermission.
            The Vikings slowly cut into the Wildcat lead and took their first lead of the game at 34-32 with 2:12 to play before halftime.  With WSC trailing 36-33, the 'Cats used a Cassie Allen trey and two free throws by senior guard Meg Rietz to hold a 38-37 advantage at halftime. 
            WSC held the lead early in the third quarter, up by five at 46-41 with 6:53 to play, when the Wildcats went cold from the field allowing Augustana to take the lead for good.
            Augustana closed the third stanza on a 14-2 run over the final 6:53 and built a 55-48 lead entering the fourth quarter.
            For most of the fourth quarter, WSC could get as close as four several times.  A vanDonkersgoed 3-pointer with 3:59 to play cut the Viking lead to four at 64-60.
            After Augustana pushed the lead back to seven, junior guard Kelsey Willems hit a trey making the score 69-65 with 59 seconds remaining.  Following a Viking turnover, another Willems 3-pointer got WSC within two at 70-68 with 22 seconds left.  But Augustana made four free throws late to clinch the 74-68 win.
            Smith had 18 points – 15 in the first quarter – for Wayne State while vanDonkersgoed added 18 points a career-high 14 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. 
            WSC was 24 of 63 from the field for 38.1 percent, including 9 for 34 behind the arc.  The 'Cats hit 11 of 15 at the free throw line.
            Augustana's top scorer was Addie Hanna with 21 points.  Kristin Edmonds followed with 17 while Isabella Sanneh and Clarissa Sauer each had 10.  The Vikings shot 46.9 percent from the field making 23 of 49 shots.  AU was 7 for 18 from 3-point range and 21 for 25 at the foul stripe.
            WSC held a 36-32 edge in rebounding thanks to 15 offensive boards.  vanDonkergoed grabbed a career-best 14 rebounds and also had five steals in the contest.  Rachel Dahlen had four assists. 
The Wildcats resume play at home next weekend when Wayne State hosts Northern State Friday at 7:30 p.m. and the University of Jamestown Saturday in a 5:30 p.m. contest at Rice Auditorium.