Women's Basketball 1/2/06 -- St. Thomas 72, Augsburg 61

BOXSCORE

ST. PAUL, Minn. (1/2/06) -- Erica Opdahl (Sr., Mound, Minn./Mound-Westonka HS) had 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead the host University of St. Thomas (5-3 overall, 3-1 MIAC) to a 72-61 victory over Augsburg College (3-6 overall, 1-4 MIAC) in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women's basketball game Monday evening at UST's Schoenecker Arena.

Melissa Gotchnik (Jr., Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park HS) had 12 of her 16 points in the second half and added seven rebounds, and Melissa Keiser (Jr., Apple Valley, Minn.) scored a career-high 16 points for the Tommies, who made 19-of-24 free throws.

Katie LaGrave (So., Okinawa, Japan/Kadena HS) and Kristina Lurken (So., Kenyon, Minn./Kenyon-Wanamingo HS) scored 16 points each for the Auggies, with LaGrave adding five rebounds and Lurken contributing six rebounds and three turnovers. Augsburg outrebounded St. Thomas 41-38, but had 24 turnovers.

Augsburg used a 13-1 run to take a 24-23 lead late in the first half. The Auggies led 42-38 with 16:41 to play, but Gotchnik scored 10 points during a 15-1 run that put UST ahead to stay at 53-43 with 9:34 to go.

Opdahl now has 978 points and 544 rebounds in 86 career games.

Rosinta Stromquist (Fr., White Bear Lake, Minn.) had 11 points and six rebounds for Augsburg. Jacci Mattern (Fr., Lakeville, Minn.) had eight points and five rebounds, and Rachel Cherry (Sr., Rosemount, Minn.) had seven points, six rebounds and three assists.

The Toms remained one-half game behind first-place St. Benedict (4-1) in the conference race. The Toms moved into a tie for second with idle Concordia-Moorhead at 3-1.

Both teams are back in action on Wednesday (1/4) at 7:30 p.m., as Augsburg hosts St. Catherine and St. Thomas plays at St. Benedict.