An important Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference women's basketball contest for the Aurora University women was on the docket Wednesday evening at Concordia University Chicago. A late first-half run did in the Spartans as they fell to Concordia 78-66.

Midway through the first-half, the Spartans trailed by just two at 20-18 and were solidly in the contest. An important one with the Spartans playing for their chance to make the NACC women's tournament.

But the final 10 minutes of the opening half, the Spartans hit a cold snap shooting from the field. As the Spartans were in the midst of an offensive slump, the Cougars rattled off a 24-8 run and took an 18-point lead (44-26) into halftime.

Coming out of the halftime session, the Spartans made a run in the first 3:20 of the second-half and when junior Bethany Dorrington drained a three-point field goal, the Spartans trailed by just 11 (49-38). The three capped a 12-5 AU run.

The Spartans continued to chip away at the Cougar lead over the next four plus minutes. At 12:09 of the period, junior Shannon Koski made a lay-up and was fouled. After converting the free-throw, the Spartans were down by only four at 55-51.

But the home Cougars ran off a 15-6 advantage over the next five plus minutes and regained a 13 point lead at 70-57.

Not to be out done, the Spartans showed fight and resilience rattling off a 7-0 run, once again capped by a Dorrington three to pull within six at 70-64 with 3:40 to play.

Unfortunately, the Spartans did not have enough to finish the comeback and fell by the final score of 78-66. With the loss, AU is now 7-16 overall and 7-11 in the NACC. Next action for the Spartan women's basketball team comes on Saturday, February 14, 2015 when they travel to Edgewood College. Game time is set for 2:00 p.m. in Madison, Wisconsin.