Women's Basketball 1/8/03 -- Augsburg 65, Hamline 61 

BOXSCORE

MINNEAPOLIS (1/8/03) -- Britni Morgan (Jr., Brooklyn Center, Minn./Robbinsdale Cooper HS) scored a career-high 22 points, as Augsburg College rallied from a 14-point second-half deficit to claim a 65-61 win over Hamline University in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women's basketball game Wednesday night at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall.

Morgan hit five 3-pointers in the game to lead the Auggies, who improved to 4-6 overall and 3-4 in MIAC play with their second win in a row. Hamline drops to 1-9 overall and 1-6 in MIAC play.

A 13-3 run over the first six minutes of the second half gave Hamline its biggest lead of the game, 47-33, with Jessica Barrett (Jr., Annandale, Minn.) scoring nine points in the run. But Augsburg outscored Hamline 20-4 over the next eight minutes to take a 53-51 advantage. Shannon Spears (Sr., Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park HS) and Morgan had two 3-pointers apiece in the Auggie run, with Morgan adding two free throws.

Hamline took the lead back on consecutive baskets by Jenny Severson (Jr., St. Anthony, Minn.) and Carolyn Korchik (Fr., Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy HS), but Augsburg took the lead for good on center Alicia Pratt's (Jr., Duluth, Minn./Duluth Cenral HS) second three-pointer of the season, a baseline shot with 5:20 left to give the Auggies a 56-55 edge.

Augsburg built the advantage to five points before Hamline rallied back on jumpers by Severson and Christine Walsten (Jr., Maplewood, Minn./North St. Paul HS) with 1:20 left to trim the Auggie edge to 60-59. But the Auggies got a field goal and hit 3-of-4 free throws in the final 19 seconds to secure the win.

There were 10 lead changes and four ties in the game.

Spears had 14 points and four assists for the Auggies, while Julie Andert * (Jr., Eden Prairie, Minn.) had nine points and eight rebounds. Ashley Sasek (So., Waukesha, Wis./Kettle Moraine HS) had four steals, and Rosinta Stromquist (Fr., Brooklyn Park, Minn./Robbinsdale Cooper HS) had seven points.

Korchik and Severson had 15 points apiece to lead the Pipers, with Korchik adding six rebounds and four assists, and Severson adding five rebounds. Barrett had 12 points and seven rebounds. Walsten scored eight points and had six assists, and Laura Fleischman (Jr., Lester Prairie, Minn.) pulled down seven rebounds.

Hamline outrebounded Augsburg by a 43-25 margin, but the Auggies connected at the free-throw line, hitting 15-of-19 attempts while Hamline went only 4-of-4 at the line. Augsburg also forced 25 Hamline turnovers, turning them into 23 points.


Both teams return to MIAC action on Saturday (1/11) at 3 p.m., with Augsburg playing at St. Olaf and Hamline playing at Carleton.