MINNEAPOLIS – Riding a stingy defensive effort and 20 points from Jen Masello (SR, Darien, Ill./Downers Grove South HS), the Augsburg University women's basketball team defeated St. Olaf College 67-45 in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Playoff quarterfinals on Wednesday evening and will advance to the MIAC Playoff semifinals where they will face Hamline University.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 67, St. Olaf 45
LOCATION: Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis, Minn.
RECORDS: Augsburg 20-5 overall (19-2 MIAC), St. Olaf 9-17 overall (7-14 MIAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Both offenses were slow to get rolling in the opening minutes, with St. Olaf holding a 5-0 advantage at the 7:51 mark. The Auggies found their groove from that point forward, closing the quarter on a 12-2 run to take a 12-7 lead into the second. Augsburg began to pull away in the second quarter, leading by as many as 22 on their way to a 19-point advantage at the half.
• Never falling below 10 points, the Augsburg lead expanded to as many as 26 points in the fourth quarter thanks to a 16-0 scoring run en route to the dominant victory.
• Masello was the scoring leader for Augsburg with 20 points on eight-of-14 shooting, also grabbing eight boards, six assists, four blocks, and three steals.
• Selena Lor (SR, Winona, Minn./Winona HS) scored 13 for the Auggies on an efficient five-of-eight shooting and added three rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
• Anja Smith (SO, Kewaskum, Wis./Saint Mary's Springs HS) also finished in double figures with 11 points, seven rebounds, a block, and a steal.
• Kalena Myers (SO, Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS) and Jaley Coplin (JR, Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee HS) added eight points each for the Auggies.
• The Auggie defense put the clamps on the Oles throughout the game, holding them to just 19-of-54 shooting (35.2%) from the floor and four-of-19 (21.1%) from beyond the arc.
• Augsburg outscored St. Olaf 24-10 off turnovers, 18-10 in bench points, 34-20 in the paint, and 6-2 in fast break points.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• Following the game, both Masello and Smith rank within the top five in several categories of the MIAC overall statistics rankings. Masello ranks second in rebounds per-game (9.0) while Smith ranks second in points per-game (16.4) and fifth with a field goal percentage of 51.4%. Coplin currently sits fourth in the conference with a three-point field goal percentage of 38.9%.
• Augsburg's 20 wins so far this season are the third-most in school history, having finished with 22 wins in both 2018-19 and 2019-20.

FOR THE FOES
• Rachel Kelly led the Oles with 18 points on eight-of-16 shooting and K'Lynn Lewis added nine points.

UP NEXT
• With the win, the Auggies will advance to the MIAC Playoff semifinals where they will host Hamline University at Si Melby Hall on Friday (2/25) at 5:45 p.m.