SIOUX FALLS – Kaely Hummel scored 18 points and Andi Mataloni added 12, including a trio of three pointers, to lift the University of Sioux Falls Women's Basketball Team (10-4, 5-3 NSIC) to a 65-60 win over city rival Augustana (14-3, 6-2 NSIC) before a packed Stewart Center on Saturday afternoon.

With the win, USF recorded a second straight win and improved to 5-3 in league play while moving their overall mark to 10-4. As a result, the Cougars remained tied for second in the NSIC South standings at 5-3 with Concordia St. Paul and Winona State. As for the USF-Augie rivalry, the last 12 match ups between the rivals have resulted in a split. In the past 16 meetings, both teams have won eight times.

After the score was tied at 15 at the end of the first quarter, USF had a 16-13 margin in the second period to take a 31-28 lead to halftime. Paced by six points from Hummel in the third quarter, the Cougars outscored AU, 18-11 for a 49-39 lead.  The Vikings had a 21-16 scoring edge in the fourth quarter but USF held off their rivals to pick up the victory which is the second in three games with AU.

"By holding the Vikings to 29 percent shooting, I felt really good about our defensive effort, which was really solid all game. We had some great play off the bench with Augusta (Thramer) and Andi (Mataloni). I thought we worked really hard on both ends and did a solid job of rebounding," added Traphagen.

Hummel, a junior guard from Cherokee, Iowa, connected on 8-of-16 field goals, including 2-of-4 from three-point range as she now has 52 double digit scoring games in her career with 13 in 2018-19. Junior guard Augusta Thramer had a solid all-around game as she finished with nine points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals off the bench for USF. Mataloni, a junior forward, was 3-of-5 from three-point range and made three free throws for a season-high 12 points while adding two assists and a steal.  USF also had 10 points, two rebounds and two assists from junior guard Mariah Szymanski, who reached double-digits in points for the 24^th time in her career.

For the game, USF was 22-of-55 from the field for 40 percent and was 7-of-24 from three point range for 29.2 percent. They converted 14-of-20 free throws for 70 percent.
Another key to the win was USF's work on the boards, The Cougars had a 45-38 edge in rebounds. In addition, they recorded six steals and four blocks, including two from junior Jessie Geer, who scored six points, had five assists and pulled down for rebounds.

As for the Vikings, they were led by 16 points from Vishe Rabb and 13 from Abby Hora. From the field, AU was 19-of-64 for 29.7 percent and made 7-of-23 from three-point range for 30.4 percent. AU also converted 15-of-22 shots from the foul line.

GAME BREAKDOWN --

Through the first two quarters, USF was able to build a 31-28 lead as Hummel had 10 points, including a pair of three-point field goals. Mataloni added two threes in the second quarter to aid USF, which was 11-of-29 for 37.9 percent from the field. Meanwhile the Vikings hit 8-of-32 shots from the floor for 25 percent. AU used an 8-to-4 edge in free throws to stay close.

Hummel opened the scoring with a jumper as the Cougars took a 2-0 lead. After a three by the Vikings, sophomore forward Anna Goodhope, who had six points and a team-high nine rebounds, converted a drive and scored to draw USF within, 5-4. Lynsey Prosser hit a three followed by another basket as the Vikings took a 10-4 lead with 5:43 to play in the quarter. The run ended as Hummel knocked in a three from the right perimeter (4:52).

After AU's Hanna Metoxen knocked in a trey, Hummel hit another jumper as USF drew within, 13-9.  Quickly USF responded as Thramer hit a pair of foul shots and Geer converted a fast-break with a lay-up to tie the game at 13 with 2:09 to play in the first quarter.  

Early in the second quarter, Hummel knocked in a three as the Cougars regained the lead at 18-15 with 9:23 on the clock. After Abby Hora's three gave the Vikings a lead (20-18), Goodhope converted two foul shots to draw even (7:24).  Then, the Cougars had three treys over five possessions to take a 29-20 lead at the 3:52 mark. Szymanski hit the first of the treys for a 23-20 lead then Mataloni entered the game and knocked down a pair to give USF's its biggest lead of the half. The Vikings used the free throw line (six foul shots) to draw within 29-26 with a minute to play. Then, Thramer ended the 6-0 AU run with a driving lay-up with 32 seconds left to give USF a 31-26 advantage.  
 
USF opened the third quarter in a flurry, using a 12-2 run for a 43-30 edge. First, Hummel hit a jumper in the lane and Geer added a jumper for a 35-28 advantage.  At the seven minute mark, Szymanski hit her second three of the game and USF had a 38-30 advantage. Hummel followed with her second basket of the half and Mataloni knocked in a trio of free throws (5:52) as the Cougars led, 43-30. Later, Szymanski banked in a jumper for a 45-32 lead with 2:39 left. However, AU hung tough as Rabb knocked in a three at the third quarter buzzer to keep the Vikings within 10 at 49-39.  

At the 8:37 mark of the fourth quarter, Hummel hit a driving jumper for a 51-39 lead and then Thramer and Gloria Mulumba, who had four points and seven rebounds on the night, converted on drives to the basket as the Cougars took a 55-39 lead with 7:30 to play.  The Vikings answered with an 8-0 run to cut the lead to 55-47 with 6:12 to play.
Then, Mataloni came up big for USF by hitting her third three of the game at the 5:50 mark for a 58-47 advantage. Slowly, the Vikings worked their way back into the game with Rabb's lay-up with 1:46 to play cutting the deficit to 62-58. Two foul shots by Izzy VanVeldhuizen drew AU to within, 62-60 with 16 seconds on the clock. But the Cougars remained steady as Geer sank two foul shots with 14 seconds left and Thramer hit 1-of-2 with two seconds on the clock as the Cougars held onto second place in the NSIC South.

Next for USF will be a road trip to Minnesota State on Friday, Jan. 11 and Concordia St. Paul on Saturday, Jan. 12.