Was back again at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall on this early Saturday afternoon to catch this late-season clash between league-leading St. Thomas and host Augsburg that was trying desperately to keep their fading post-season hopes alive. The task in this one was daunting - yet doable for the Auggies IF they played up to their potential. But if they were going to pull off the monumental upset of the day, things would have to go just right for them.
Things would be close in the opening minutes. Senior Nikki Borkhuis gave the Auggies some hope with a drive and finish at the 17:42 mark for a 3-1 Augsburg lead but willowy senior MIAC 3-point shooting Queen Ali Johnson connected with a long "2" a bit later that tied things up. The Tommies were a bit sluggish early on offensively but finally began to find their groove just before the midway point of the first half. Junior guard Kellie Ring connected with a jumper at the 12:02 mark and then ever-improving sophomore Kelly Brandenburg connected on a short jumper at the 10:09 mark and a 13-8 lead. UST would maintain this slight cushion over the next several minutes before they made their trademark "push" right before the half. Brandenburg connected with a jumper for a 21-16 UST lead at exactly the 2:00 mark. Then Johnson swished a "3" from the right wing at the 1:26 mark. Senior reserve post Sarah Smith scored inside with just under a minute left and then freshman reserve forward/post Anna Smith made a nice move along the baseline and finished that bulged the Tommie lead to 28-16 going into the locker room at half; a 9-0 run that effectively killed off any hopes (and momentum) the Auggies might have had.
The Auggies knew they had to respond once the second half got underway and they tried to do just that. Junior Brittany Zins was able to score inside on that big Tommie front line at the 19:45 mark (one of the few times she was able to do that all day) and then senior Lexi Thompson scored in transition at the 18:15 mark. Borkhuis was able to do the same a bit later after an errant Tommie possession and the Auggies had whittled the Tommie advantage to just 28-22 that once again brought some life back to this Augsburg team. But those wisps of hope were quickly dashed as the Tommies caught their breath and resumed the choke-hold they once had. Senior Haley Loesch (very underrated player IMHO who has never got the recognition she deserves) scored inside at the 16:15 mark and then sophomore sensation Taylor Young made a strong drive inside and finished and got fouled in the process. The ensuing free throw made it 34-22 in favor of the Tommies and really set the tone for the rest of the way. The Auggies could never get close again as UST steadily increased their lead the rest of the way. Johnson knocked down another "3" at the 6:45 mark and an Anna Smith freebie made it 50-35 Tommies. The Tommies then padded their advantage in the final minutes from the charity stripe as they cruised to a 63-41 win; keeping their MIAC record unblemished and putting the Auggies behind the 8-ball as far as their playoff hopes were concerned.
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