SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The University of Minnesota Morris women's basketball team fought valiantly, but fell by a score of 86-55 to NCAA Division II foe Augustana University on Thursday night. The Cougars drop to 1-3 on the season with the loss.

Augustana jumped out to a 10-2 lead in the opening minutes of the first quarter with only a bucket from Jay Kwateh to show for it in the early going for Minnesota Morris. Haley Wollschlager then connected on a pair of free throws to pull the Cougars to within six. From there on, UMN Morris did well to answer most Viking baskets the rest of the quarter, but a late layup for Augustana gave it a 24-13 edge after 10 minutes of play.

Trailing by 15 points midway through the second quarter, Minnesota Morris went on a 5-0 run over more than three minutes of play, with a three-pointer from Lexie Winter and a jumper from Jadyn Sondrol knocking the deficit down to 10 points, 35-25. In the final two minutes of the half, Augustana was able to put together a 6-0 run to take a 41-25 lead at the break.

That 6-0 run extended out to 12-0 early in the third quarter before a Sondrol three-pointer. Lexus Eagle Chasing and Wollschlager each added three-pointers later in the quarter, but the Vikings were scoring at will on the other end of the court and went to the fourth quarter holding a 71-40 advantage on the Cougars.

The teams played to a 15-15 deadlock in the final quarter of action. Late in the contest, Minnesota Morris went on an 8-0 run with three-pointers from Wollschlager and Eagle Chasing, as well as a jumper from Winter. 

Eagle Chasing finished the night with a game-high 17 points along with a team-high five rebounds. Wollschlager tacked on eight points, while Sondrol and Justine Day ended with seven apiece.

Minnesota Morris continues its road trip on Saturday, taking on Bemidji State University at 1 p.m.