Box Score The Aurora University Spartan women's basketball team surpassed the .500 mark for the first time in the 2013-2014 season with a 73-57 win over Concordia University Chicago.

The win also moved the Spartans into fifth place in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference in what is turning out to be a sprint to the end for the three through seven seeds in the upcoming NACC Tournament.

AU jumped out to a 17-2 lead over the first six minutes of play and never looked back, cruising to the 16-point win. Four Spartans scored in the opening run which was started by a lay-up from sophomore Anna Roszkowski and finished with a three-point basket from senior Shay Jenkins. In between, junior Neely Marks and sophomore Shannon Koski contributed baskets as well.

The Spartans would build an 18-point lead with 7:30 to play on a three-point basket from sophomore Bethany Dorrington. The Cougars did cut the lead down to 10 in the final minute of the first-half but two free throws with nine seconds left by Dorrington gave AU the 38-26 halftime lead.

Roszkowski led AU with nine points and nine rebounds in the first-half, as all seven Spartans to see time tallied a point.

In the second-half, AU jumped out to a 16 point lead four minutes into the half on a three-pointer by Koski. But the Cougars would not go away quietly, immediately chipping away at the Spartan lead, getting to within seven points (51-44) with 13:43 to play.

Aurora responded with an 11-0 run over the next six minutes to expand the lead back to 18 and eventually coasting to the 16-point win at 73-57.

Koski led all scorers with 24 points while Roszkowski had another double-double, her eighth of the season with 15 points and 19 rebounds. Dorrington added a double-double with 13 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, Jenkins had nine points and Marks had eight points and eight rebounds.

AU out-rebounded Concordia 52-34 while holding the Cougars to 35.4 percent shooting from the field.

With the win, AU is now 12-11 overall and 11-7 in the NACC. Next action for the Spartan women's basketball team comes on Saturday, February 15 when they host Edgewood College on AU Senior Day. Game time is set for 4:15 p.m. in Thornton Gymnasium.