ROCK ISLAND, Ill. -- The 2022-23 regular season has concluded for the Vikings women's basketball team following Saturday evening's matchup with Augustana College. North Park's season ends with a 58-72 loss to the playoff-bound Augustana Vikings, closing the year with a 9-16 overall record and a 5-11 record in the CCIW.
The two Vikings sides nearly played to a draw through one quarter of action, but a late 8-1 run turned a 13-12 NPU lead into a 14-20 Augustana advantage heading into the second quarter. North Park responded with stout defense out of the break, holding Augie to one basket through four minutes en route to a 10-2 run of their own. Aaliyah Parker-Fox sparked the sequence with a three-pointer, followed by a three-point play from Esther Miller. Free throws from Chantel Hairston gave NPU the lead back at 24-22.
The lead continued to switch hands over the ensuing possessions until Augustana again strung together a strong stretch of play to end of the quarter. Augie nailed three shots from deep over the final two minutes, capping off the hot stretch with a last-second layup to enter halftime up 9 with the score at 31-40.
North Park played their best basketball of the night in the third quarter, outscoring Augustana 18-13 across the frame despite having seen their deficit extend to double-digits halfway through the period. It was NPU ending the quarter on a high note this time, as the Vikings rattled off 11 points while holding Augustana to 4 over the final five minutes to set up a 49-53 score entering the fourth. However, North Park would end up falling just short in the last quarter of play. NPU worked the Augustana lead down to one possession at a score of 53-56, but Augie managed to stabilize back to a double-digit cushion with four minutes remaining. North Park fought back to within two scores, though by then, the clock necessitated NPU to send Augustana to the line where they confirmed their eventual victory.
North Park was led in scoring by Victoria Perry's 19 points on 7-12 shooting, which included 4 three-pointers. Chantel Hairston was the Vikings' lone other double-digit scorer with 12 on the back of a 6-7 performance from the free throw line. Esther Miller added team-highs of 9 rebounds and 3 assists.
At 5-11, North Park's league record ties Carthage for sixth, but Carthage's win over Augustana earlier this season serves as the tie-breaker that sends the Firebirds to the playoffs. The Vikings' focus shifts to the offseason and building up for 2023-24.
