The Aurora University women's basketball team was forced to head on the road for the opening round of the 2023-2024 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference tournament on Wednesday night due to a coin flip tiebreaker. The Spartans jumped out to a large first-half lead and then survived the MSOE second-half come back attempt to advance in #NACCtion with a 61-59 win. The win is the Spartans 20th of the season and just fourth 20 win season in program history. The prior 20 win seasons came in 2022-2023, 1993-1994 and 1994-1995.


FINAL SCORE: #5 Aurora University 61, #4 MIlwaukee School of Engineering 59
LOCATION: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
RECORDS: Aurora University 20--6 overall and 12-4 NACC


- The game started slowly with AU leading 7-5 at the first media timeout.
- AU would lead the low scoring game 11-5 after one quarter/
- After an MSOE basket to start the second, AU ran off on an 11-0 run and led 22-7 with 5:27 left in the half.
- Five different Spartans had a basket in the run.
- The Spartans continued to score and built the lead to 17 on an Eliot Dojutrek basket with seconds left.
- Going to halftime, AU led 36-19.
- MSOE opened the third quarter on a 10-0 run which was stopped by a three from Gabrielle Wolff.
- With 1:41 to play in the third, MSOE cut the Spartan lead down to just three at 41-38.
- AU finished the third on 9-5 run to lead by seven at 50-43.
- Sam Barrett drained a pair of three's in the final minute for AU.
- AU pushed the lead up to 10 again early in the fourth on a Dojutrek basket to put the Spartans up 55-45.
- Over the next 3:40 of game action MSOE would out score AU 11-1 to tie the score 56-56 with 3:13 to play in the game.
- With 2:00  on the clock, Macy Kocen drained a three, her second of the night to give AU the lead at 59-56.
- After MSOE made one of two free-throws, Gabrielle Wolff drained a pair from the line to push the lead to four at 61-57 with 19 seconds to play.
- MSOE would add two free throws with nine seconds left and set up a dramatic ending.
- Spartan Sam Barrett was fouled but missed both free throws to give MSOE a chance to tie or win the game with seven seconds to play.
- MSOE got two chances in the final seconds with a driving layup missing badly but the rebound and following tip hit the rim but did not fall as AU won 61-59.

 
Points: Gabrielle Wolff (14) and Kylie Fischbach (10)
Assists: Kylie Fischbach (4), Eliot Dojutrek and Sam Barrett (3)
Rebounds: Selena Vargas (8)
Steals: Eliot Dojutrek and Gabrielle Wolff (2)


Next scheduled action for the Spartan women's basketball team comes on Friday, February 23 when they play in the semi-final round of the 2023-2024 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament. AU will travel to Wisconsin Lutheran College for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.