Last year the Augsburg women’s basketball team made history, and I was there. Last week I had a chance to witness history-in-the-making again, but I missed it!
The No. 21-ranked Auggies (9-1, 5-0 MIAC), led by former prep metro standouts Jazmyn Solseth (St. Croix Lutheran), Tamira McLemore (Eagan), Camryn Speese (DeLaSalle), Aiza Wilson (DeLaSalle), Kaezha Wubben (Hopkins), and Arianna Jones (Osseo), snapped a 36-game losing streak to No. 9-ranked University of St. Thomas (6-2, 3-2 MIAC) last Wednesday evening. It was a 69-65 overtime victory for Augsburg at Shoenecker Arena for a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Meanwhile, I was watching the Utah Jazz—in my role as a photojournalist—defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-116 at the Target Center.
A few miles away, the Auggies overcame a 45-35 deficit late in the third period to earn their first victory over the Tommies since an 80-74 win on February 1, 2006, at Augsburg.
Solseth, a junior forward, led the way with 19 points and nine rebounds, earning MIAC Player of the Week honors. Senior guard McLemore had 12 points. Speese, a senior forward, chipped in nine. Senior guards Wilson and Wubben added eight apiece, and senior point guard Jones had six points.
Last season, Augsburg became the first school in the history of MIAC to start five African American players, most of whom were from the metro area. They placed second last season with their only losses coming from University of St. Thomas (UST).
The rematch with UST is coming up Wednesday, January 29, at 7 pm at Augsburg.
Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald is a contributing columnist at the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.