After doing color commentary with Tony Geer over at Bethel for their 1:00 P.M. game against Gustavus (which was a resounding 60-38 triumph for the Gusties), I hurried down Snelling and Summit Avenues (God HELP ME I HATE St. Paul streets; they were built by a drunken 19th-century drunken Irishman) to get over to St. Kate's for the 3:00 P.M. clash between Augsburg and the host Wildcats. I got settled in at the Butler Center at the 8:26 mark with the Auggies clinging to a slim 16-12 lead.
Neither team could make much of a statement in terms of either making a run or trying to even things up in the remaining minutes of the first half. Auggie senior guard Lexi Thompson could have easily made ESPN's "Play Of The Day" with her unbelievable one-handed shot underneath the basket (she's always doing something unbelievable in games it seems like) at the 7:19 mark for a 20-14 Augsburg lead. Augsburg did extend their lead to eight thanks to southpaw sophomore Abbey Luger's "3" from the left top with 3:43 left and willowy junior Brittany Dyshaw's two rebounds with a putback and a 25-17 Augsburg advantage that had St. Kate's Head Coach Gary Rufsvold steaming at his team's woeful rebounding in the subesequent time-out. The Wildcats responded to Rufsvold's chewing out with a mini-run that cut the Auggie advantage to 25-21 with 1:27 left but had to settle for that four-point deficit going into the locker room at the half down 27-23.
Freshman sensation Sarina Baker gave the home crowd some hope early on in the second half with a drive and finish at the 19:46 mark that got the Wildcats to within two at 27-25. Strangely enough, the Wildcats would never get any closer. Junior Brittany Zins helped make sure of that for the Auggies as she did her dirty work down low (does it better than anyone in the MIAC, IMHO) and then Thompson slithered inside like a cat going after a mouse as she scored and got fouled in the process. The resulting freebie got Augsburg back up to 32-25.
The frustrating thing (from both standpoints, I think) in the second half is that the Wildcats would make mini-runs that made it LOOK like they MIGHT creep right back into it (but couldn't) and the Auggies never really could QUITE put their opponents completely away. Augsburg upped their advantage to 38-27 by the 11:58 mark after Zins scored inside (so what else is new?!) and it looked as if they were in control but the 'Cats would slowly scratch and claw away at that lead. Junior Adele Simerson-Wallfred knocked down one freebie after getting fouled at the 7:12 mark and then Baker snared a steal and rumbled the other way for a lay-up. An inside score from fellow freshman sensation Jule Muegge (just back into action after recovering from an ankle injury) narrowed the Auggie advantage to 40-35 by the 6:13 mark. But Augsburg simply would not let St. Kate's complete a comeback. Two free throws by Zins and a jumper from athletic sophomore Kendra Ware plus two more freebies by senior PG Serenae Levine gave the Auggies a 50-40 cushion with just :43 left that St. Kate's simply could not recover from. The Auggies, who arguably only brought their "C+" or "B-" game with them on this day, were able to escape back to the other side of town with a 51-43 victory.
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