ST. PAUL, Minn. – Despite a fourth-quarter effort that saw it storm back from a nine-point deficit to take the lead with less than 30 seconds to play, the Augsburg University women's basketball team came up just short with a 54-52 loss to St. Catherine University on Wednesday evening in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play at the Butler Center.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: St. Catherine 54, Augsburg 52
LOCATION: Butler Center, St. Paul, Minn.
RECORDS: Augsburg 8-4 overall (5-4 MIAC), St. Catherine 8-4 overall (7-3 MIAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The opening quarter was a tightly contested battle with neither team leading by more than four at any point. After 10 minutes of play, the Wildcats held a 13-12 advantage. Augsburg managed to tie the game twice in the second quarter and briefly regain the lead at 25-23, but the Wildcats closed the quarter on a 9-1 run to take a 32-26 lead into halftime.
• The Wildcats remained in the driver's seat for most of the third, leading wire-to-wire and pushing the advantage to seven by the end of the quarter. Trailing by as many as nine in the final frame, the Auggies went to work chipping away at the St. Catherine lead and managed to jump back on top with a layup from Samaiya Buchanan (SR, Minneapolis, Minn./Hopkins HS) that made it 52-51 with just 24 seconds to play. The Wildcats had an answer one final time, however, as they used a layup to regain the lead and a free throw to give them a two-point advantage that would hold for the remainder of the contest.
• It was a low-scoring affair all around with Anja Smith (JR, Kewaskum, Wis./Saint Mary's Springs HS) tying for the game high with 11 points on 5-13 shooting from the field. Smith also managed seven rebounds and a game-high two blocks. Jaley Coplin (SR, Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee HS) was the only other Auggie in double figures with 10 points, six rebounds, and two steals.
• Buchanan had an efficient night in her 17 minutes off the bench, knocking down four of her six shots for eight points and pulling down three rebounds.
• Despite the loss, the Auggies outshot the Wildcats 41.5% (22-53) to 36.2% (21-58). Free throws played a deciding role in the game with St. Kate's sinking eight of their 11 opportunities while Augsburg hit just four of 10.

FOR THE FOES
• Kaylee Miron came off the bench for St. Kate's to lead them in scoring with 11 points. Sam Orth led the Wildcat starters with nine points and seven rebounds.

UP NEXT
• The Auggies will return home to host St. Olaf College at Si Melby Hall on Saturday, January 14 at 3 pm as the second game of an afternoon doubleheader with the men's team.