BOX SCORE

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – A slow start was the doom for the Northern State Wolves women's basketball team Saturday, as the Augustana College Vikings used a 21-4 run to start the game and 33 points off a season-high 23 Northern State turnovers to cruise to a 73-51 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference victory at the Elmen Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.

The loss drops the Wolves to 3-4 overall on the season and 0-2 in the Northern Sun.

The Wolves were stagnant on offense to start the game with a big part of that slow start coming from nine Northern State first half turnovers.  The Vikings were able to open up an 18-point first half lead at one point, which the Wolves were able to work down to a 10-point lead with 6:55 to go on a three-pointer by sophomore Emily Becken, which would stand as her only field goal on the night.

Junior Jodi Reinschmidt was the Wolves' lifeline to start the game, scoring the first eight points for Northern on her way to ten first half points.

The Vikings were able unable to get solid scoring down on the block due to a stellar defensive effort by junior Krista Rabenberg's five first-half blocks, so the Vikings moved their offense outside in attempting 13 first-half three-pointers, of which they made four.

The difference in the first half were Augie's four first-half three-pointers compared to just one (1-7) for the Wolves, and the Vikings' offensive rebound margin (9-3) which gave them more second-chance point opportunities in building a 37-23 lead at halftime.

The Wolves opened up the second stanza with a renewed fire and were able to decrease the Vikings' lead to nine, capped off by a Mikayla Barondeau jumper, but the Vikings rattled off eight consecutive points to push their lead back to 17 with 15:53 to go in the game.  

The Wolves could not get closer than 12 points down the rest of the game with the Vikings using 6-12 shooting from three-point land to put the game away down the stretch.

The Wolves were led by junior Jodi Reinschmidt, who finished the game with 14 points on 7-10 shooting and also added three rebounds, one assist, one steal, and two blocks on the night in 36 minutes of action.

Krista Rabenberg finished with seven blocks on the defensive end along with seven rebounds and six points in the game.

Mikayla Barondeau added eight points and a team-leading 10 rebounds to go along with three assists and a steal in 33 minutes of action.

The Wolves are on the road again next weekend, and will face off against Southwest Minnesota State in Marshall, Minn. on Friday and Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minn. on Saturday.

Northern State University is an NCAA Division II affiliated school participating in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and is located in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

**GO WOLVES**