11-0 Stretch Cools Cali Warmth

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (11/20/15) --- Concordia could not answer an 11-0 streak from Augustana (Ill.) sandwiched around the end of the first half and beginning of the second half and dropped it's opening game of the UC-Santa Cruz Tournament 62-58.

The Vikings outrebounded the Cobbers 44-32 and took advantage of Concordia turnovers. Both teams committed 19 miscues, but Augustana scored 23 points off of turnovers compared to 12 for Concordia.

The Cobbers fall to 1-2 overall with the loss while Augustana improves to 3-0.
 
Concordia grabbed an early lead. Olivia Johnson knocked down her first shot of the game followed by a 3-pointer from Jenna Januschka which made it 5-2 in favor of CC.

The Vikings then went on an 11-2 run over the next 4:24 to grab a 13-7 lead.

With 2:56 to play in the opening quarter Katie Rosenfeldt ended the nearly five-minute scoreless drought by canning a deep ball that made it 13-10.

Hannah Durbin connected from distance on the following possession and Augustana lead 20-14 after one quarter.

Rosenfeldt started the second quarter with back-to-back baskets cutting the deficit to just two points and moments later Greta Walsh buried a three that cut the deficit to one point at 22-21.

Crystal Amundson got in on the action a couple possessions later. The Thief River Falls native had a tip-in and followed with a layup at the 4:33 mark in the second quarter which handed the Cobbers a 25-24 advantage – their first lead since 7:39 in the first quarter.

The Vikings went on a 9-0 run to end the half and took a 33-25 lead into intermission. 

Augustana continued their scoring tear to start the third quarter as they scored the first basket to increase the run to 11-0 before Johnson finally ended the skid with a pair of free throws.

The tandem of Janushcka and Johnson scored the first nine points of the half for Concordia but the Vikings answered every time. With 4:57 to play in the third quarter Augustana led 44-34.

Starting with a Januschka free throw, the Cobbers went on a 10-0 run. Walsh came back to life with a pair of buckets and Johnson and Januschka exchanged inside hoops to cut the deficit to 44-43 with 2:31 to play in the third. 

Hannah Jeske scored the last basket of the half to make it 50-47 Augustana with 10 minutes to play.

The Cobbers were within five points the entire fourth quarter. Walsh went coast-to-coast for the opening basket of the quarter and Johnson would hit a jumper minutes later to make it 52-51 but Concordia could not get over the hump.

Kaycee Kallenberger hit a shot in the lane with 6:09 to play that made it 56-53 but neither team would score for the next 4:36 when Augustana's Mikayla Fallon scored with 1:33 to play to make it 58-53.

Johnson hit a triple in the closing minute but it would not be enough as Augustana held on for the 62-58 win.

DIBS: Olivia Johnson continued to lead the way for the young Cobbers. The senior poured in 19 points on 5-for-12 shooting and went a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line.

KUDOS FOR KATIE: Senior Katie Rosenfeldt was 3-for-8 from the field and finished with a career-high nine points. She had a pair of eight-point games last year.   

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS: Two teams from the Midwest played each other in California. The distance from Moorhead to Santa Cruz is 1,850 miles while the Vikings had to trek 2,028 miles to the vacation destination. All totaled the teams traveled a combined 3,878 miles which is a huge difference compared to the 591 mile drive it would have been if the teams had played at home.  

WHAT'S NEXT? Concordia will play host UC-Santa Cruz in the second game of the tournament on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 9 p.m. The Banana Slugs didn't play on Friday and are 2-0 on the year.