SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - After both teams started cold from the floor, it was host Augustana (10-6, 4-5 NSIC) who got hot late, holding off visiting Concordia-St. Paul (8-6, 4-4 NSIC) 76-62 on Friday night at Sioux Falls Arena.

The two teams were a combined 0-12 from the arc in the first half (CU 0-4, Augie 0-8), but Concordia held Augie to just 24.3 percent first half shooting (9-37) as NSIC blocks leader Kionda Nicks had five of her six blocks in the first half. She finished the night with six points and six rebounds to go with the six blocks.

But Augustana made five straight three-pointers in the last eight minutes to finish 6-17 from the arc (35.3%) while Concordia made just 2-21 (9.5%) for the game.

The strong first half defense allowed Concorida to hold a 25-23 lead at the break despite getting out to a hot 8-2 start in the first four minutes behind six straight points from Concordia's all-time scoring leader Anika Whiting. She finished the night with 18 points on 7-14 shooting, adding seven rebounds to her career record total on the glass.

While the NSIC blocks leader and Concordia program scoring and rebounding leader were each on in the first half for Concordia, the Golden Bears were shutting down the league's top scorer, Shaunteva Ashley. She had just two points in the first half and was 0-3 from the floor.

But it was Ashley that hit the game's first three-pointer under two minutes into the second half to break Augie's 0-9 start while Concordia was still stuck at 0-5.

The Golden Bears used a pair of steals and fastbreak layups, first by Lauren Shifflett for a three-point play followed by Voneisha Harris. Moments later, a Whiting layup extended Concordia's lead to 42-36 with 11:16 to play.

The Vikings climbed back into the game, tying it at 43 with 8:54 to play as Ashley converted a layup.

Then the Vikings began to catch fire from the arc as Allie Koehn hit a three with 8:10 to play to give Augustana a 46-43 lead. It started a stretch that saw Augustana make five three-pointers in a row in a six-plus minute stretch of action to pull away.

At one point, the Vikings went on an 18-3 run to take a 54-45 lead with 6:41 left and Concordia wouldn't be closer than six points the rest of the way.

Ashley would make 7-of-8 at the line to finish with 14 points although Concordia held her to 3-10 shooting and four turnovers.

It was Nicole Kerkhoff who did the damage to the Golden Bears as she made 8-14 for 21 points and eight rebounds. She had two of the team's three-pointers as did Koehn.

Mishayla Jones had a strong second half for the Golden Bears, scoring 13 of her team high 19 points in the final period. She also grabbed seven rebounds and had three assists.

The road trip doesn't get easier for the Golden Bears with a 4 p.m. tilt at #15 Wayne State tomorrow at Rice Auditorium in Wayne, Neb.