Rock Island, Ill. -- Riding a five-game win streak, the Thunder women's basketball team arrived in Rock Island on Wednesday evening to face off against fellow one-loss opponents Augustana in the first CCIW matchup of the season for both teams. Wheaton more than upheld their end of the bargain and nearly walked away with a key conference road victory, but the hosting Vikings eventually secured a nail-biting 65-63 win in overtime in a contest that underlined the potential that both squads possess. Wheaton's record now sits at 5-2 on the young season after tonight's defeat.

The game got off to a less than ideal start for the visitors, as Wheaton missed their first three shots and turned the ball over, which led to Augie opening the scoring. But Annika Richardson answered back with a layup in the paint on the next possession, and Wheaton used this as a launching pad for a strong first quarter performance. Trailing 7-4 midway through the opening period, the Thunder registered the next eight points capped off by an Anna Fernandez three to eventually earn a 12-9 lead heading into the second frame. The same player began the quarter with another three-pointer to give Wheaton their largest lead yet, and after withstanding a mid-quarter rally by the Vikings, Wheaton surged back out in front thanks to seven straight points by Caylee Hermanson. The visitors went into the locker room with an impressive 29-19 halftime lead.

The Thunder twice extended their advantage to 11 points in the third quarter, but this proved to be their biggest lead of the night, as the momentum began to shift in favor of Augustana. The hosts found their offensive rhythm and knocked down shots at key points in the contest to remain within touching distance. The Vikings tallied the last four points of the third quarter to cut Wheaton's lead down to a 45-38 split. The Thunder have impressed in the fourth quarter of games so far this season, but they were outscored 18-11 in the final frame on Wednesday as Augustana completed the comeback to force overtime on their home floor. The pivotal turning point came with just under seven minutes to go when Augie mounted a seven-point run to claim their first lead since the opening quarter. But Wheaton did well to not allow their hosts to close things out easily in regulation, and a three-ball from Hermanson with 1:21 remaining was enough to help the Thunder reach overtime, despite a late turnover that gave the hosts a chance to win it in the final seconds.

Augustana jumped out to a four-point edge in the decisive five minute period, but a Richardson jumper and a Caroline Sikkink free throw pulled Wheaton back to within one. After the guests surrendered a fast break layup to trail 64-61, Richardson then responded with a layup of her own with just five seconds remaining to give Wheaton a glimmer of hope. But it was not meant to be on Wednesday night, as the Vikings hit a free throw after the ensuing foul, and Wheaton failed to score on their final possession of the contest. Augustana escaped with the two-point win after a hard-fought contest and improved to 6-1 on the year as a result.

The home side posted a better overall shooting percentage than Wheaton, but the Thunder were more accurate from the three-point line and the free throw line in Wednesday's matchup. Augustana edged the points in the paint, fast break points, and second chance points statistical categories, but Wheaton claimed healthy edges in bench points and points off of turnovers. The Vikings out-rebounded Wheaton by a 42-39 edge, while the visitors won the takeaway battle by forcing Augustana to commit 20 turnovers over the course of the five periods.

Anna Fernandez registered her first career double-double in tonight's contest, going for 11 points and ten rebounds while also grabbing two steals. Caylee Hermanson led all scorers with 15 points, dished out three assists, and blocked one shot. Annika Richardson contributed 13 points, three steals, and four rebounds. Ellie Cassel secured a team-high 12 rebounds and scored six points. Kate Oliver chipped in eight points and led Wheaton in steals and assists with five and four, respectively.

After getting their first taste of conference basketball for nine months, the Wheaton women will return home for another non-conference contest. The Thunder are set to take on the undefeated University of Chicago Maroons in King Arena at 5 PM on Saturday evening.