SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Blugolds.com) - While the UW-Eau Claire women's basketball team played Augustana College (S.D.) close for the first two and a half minutes, the Blugolds ended up falling 87-64 at Elmen Center today.

The Blugolds (3-7) took the first lead of the game and were right with the Vikings for the first two and half minutes before the Vikings took the lead and would not give it up the rest of the way.

The NCAA Division II Vikings (8-1) used a 17-0 run in the first half to take a 19 point lead at one point and while the Blugolds cut the lead to 12, Augustana went back up by 19 at half time (48-29).

Augustana continued to control the game in the second half. The closest Eau Claire got the rest of the way was 12 points while the Vikings' largest lead of the game (28 points) came with less than three minutes remaining.

While the Blugolds outrebounded the Vikings 36-31, Augustana was 35-for72 (48.6 percent) while Eau Claire went 24-for-53 (45.3 percent) from the floor. Fourteen of the Vikings' 35 field goals came from beyond the arc while Eau Claire scored just three times from the outside.

Two Blugolds finished with double-doubles. Hannah Mesick (Jr.-Chatfield, Minn.) scored 16 points and pulled down 10 rebounds while Ellen Plendl (So.-Chippewa Falls, Wis./McDonell) had 15 points and 11 boards. Mesick also led the team with four assists and Plendl had a team-high three steals.

The Blugolds will be back in action next Sunday (Dec. 27) for a home game against NCAA Division II University of Minnesota Duluth. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.