MINNEAPOLIS – The Augsburg University women's basketball team's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Playoff run came to a close on Sunday as they fell to No. 2 seed Gustavus Adolphus College 65-56 in the championship game at Si Melby Hall.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Gustavus 65, Augsburg 56
LOCATION: Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis, Minn.
RECORDS: Augsburg 21-6 overall (19-2 MIAC), Gustavus 22-4 overall (17-3 MIAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Gusties hopped out to an early 5-0 advantage, giving them a lead that they would hold for the remainder of the game. The Auggies brought it within a point on two separate occasions, but Gustavus maintained a three-point lead at the first quarter break.
• The game remained close through most of the second quarter, but Gustavus closed the quarter with a 6-0 scoring run to take a 37-28 lead into halftime.
• The Auggies came out hot to start the second half, scoring the first eight points of the game to make it a one-point game once again. Gustavus responded shortly after, pushing the lead back to seven as the quarter ended.
• Augsburg got it back to a three-point game at the 2:57 mark in the fourth, but the Gusties scored six unanswered to close the game and seal their first-ever MIAC Championship.
• Anja Smith (SO, Kewaskum, Wis./Saint Mary's Springs HS) carried the load on offense for Augsburg, scoring 29 on 11-of-24 shooting with five rebounds and a steal.
• Jaley Coplin (JR, Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee HS) added nine points and a team-high six rebounds. Jen Masello (SR, Darien, Ill./Downers Grove South HS) finished with seven points on three-of-five shooting with five rebounds, a steal, and an assist.
• Grace Eastman (JR, St. Francis, Minn./St. Francis HS) and Selena Lor (SR, Winona, Minn./Winona HS) tallied five and three points for Augsburg, respectively.
• The Auggies edged the Gusties 11-9 in points off turnovers and dominated in bench points by margin of 31-16 with 29 coming from Smith alone.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• Following the game, Masello, Smith, and Coplin rank within the top five in several categories of the MIAC overall statistics rankings. Masello ranks second in rebounds per-game (8.8) while Smith ranks second in points per-game (17.1) and fifth with a field goal percentage of 50.5%. Coplin currently sits fourth in the conference with a three-point field goal percentage of 37.9%.

FOR THE FOES
• The Gusties featured a balance scoring attack with Emma Kniefel scoring 13, Kylie Baranick scoring 11, and Rachel Kawiecki adding 10.

UP NEXT
• With the MIAC's automatic bid now going to Gustavus, the Auggies will now hope to receive an at-large bid to the 2022 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament. The NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament Selection Committee will release its field for the national tournament at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, February 28 on NCAA.com.