SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Minot State University outscored Augustana University 25-19 in the fourth quarter but it was not enough to overcome a slow offensive start as the Vikings toppled the Beavers 87-70 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference women's basketball Sunday afternoon at the Sioux Falls Arena.
 
The Beavers (8-14 overall, 5-11 NSIC) trailed by as many as 27 points in the third quarter, but cut that lead all the way to 11 on the 3-pointer by Kari Clements (RFr., G, Trevor, Wis.) with just over five minutes to play in the fourth.
 
But Augie (17-5, 11-5) continued to score down the stretch and pushed it back to 17 over the next four minutes, keeping Minot State from making a comeback.
 
"We really competed today," said MSU head coach Sheila Green Gerding. "That was our best overall effort on the offensive boards and Sarah Lester (Sr., G, Frenchtown, Mont.) had her best performance to date. We truly believe we are turning the corner and can get the train back on the winning track."
 
MSU made the push in the second half behind much improved 3-point shooting, mainly from Clements who was 4 for 9 in the game and two key triples by Alex Haley (Jr., G, Libertyville, Ill.) and Lester early in the quarter. In all, MSU was 6 of 17 in the second half from beyond the arc after going just 1 for 10 in the first half.
 
Lester had a fine all-around game with near-triple-double numbers scoring 17 points, pulling down 12 rebounds and dishing out seven assists.
 
While MSU missed some shots in the game, they were tenacious on the boards, pulling down 24 offensive rebounds and 48 overall to outrebound Augie 48-35. Savana Kingsbury (Sr., F, Omaha, Neb.) finished with six offensive rebounds and a total of eight as she had another fantastic individual game. She finished with a game-high 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the loss.
 
"Savana had a great weekend for us," Green Gerding said.
 
The improved shooting by the Beavers was compounded by poor 3-point shooting by the Vikings. Augie hit eight 3s in the first half, but struggled to just 2 of 16 in the second half. Overall, however, Augustana hit 10 of 31 to outscore MSU 30-21 on 3s.
 
Augustana University only had two players reach double figures as Sydney Rome paced the Vikings with 12 and Logan O'Farrell added 11. Augie had seven players with eight or more points. Nichole Kerkhoff finished with nine points and eight rebounds in the win.
 
Clements came off the bench to score 12 points and added eight rebounds and two assists for the Beavers. Amanda Sansaver and Haley finished with seven points each for MSU.
 
"We had a great effort from the Kari off the bench," said Green Gerding. "We are excited to begin our home stand. We are mobbing in a positive direction."
 
The Beavers return home for a pair of games at the MSU Dome taking on Concordia-St. Paul Friday at 6 p.m. and Minnesota State Saturday at 4 p.m.

About Minot State
Minot State University is a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) and NCAA Division II offering 14 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletics programs. The NSIC is a premier NCAA DII, 16-member conference featuring teams in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa. The Beavers are the only public NCAA Division II institution in the state of North Dakota.