VALLEY CITY – Valley City State University women's basketball contended but were just shy of taking down the (RV) University of Providence Argos. The Vikings fell 67-65.

The Vikings are now 5-8 overall and 2-7 in Frontier Conference games. The University of Providence is now 10-5 and 6-3 in Frontier Conference games.

The Argos started the game by scoring 12 of the first 14 points, leaving the Vikings with some work to make a comeback. Through most of the first quarter, the Argos held a 9–10-point lead. Late in the first, Abby Aslesen scored on a three-point play, and in the next possession, earned her way to the foul line, making the next two free throws. The Vikings closed the first quarter at 23-12.

At the start of the second quarter, the Vikings kept themselves in the game, scoring at about the same pace as the Argos. Late in the second, Viking senior, JayCee Richter, buried a pair of threes. Liz Lukken also made a three-pointer, helping the Vikings narrow the gap to 32-25.

At halftime, the Vikings shot 9-for-29 from the field, 4-for-14 from the three-point line, and 5-for-5 from the free throw line. They were led by Richter, who had 10 points and three rebounds at the half. Providence was shooting 13-for-27 from the field, 3-for-7 from the three-point line, and 6-for-8 from the free-throw line.

In the third, the Vikings continued their comeback, starting the quarter with a 9-0 run. They would later tie the game 36-36 after a two-pointer by Tiyana Schwinghammer. Providence would reclaim the lead, staying 2-3 points ahead of the Vikings for the remainder of the quarter. Brooke Dial from Providence then put in a two with three seconds remaining, allowing the Argos to take a 45-40 lead into the final quarter.

Vikings Richter and Aslesen would score the first 10 points of the quarter for the Vikings while playing strong defense on the other end. The Vikings took a 50-49 lead with an Aslesen two, with 6:39 on the clock. The next four minutes were neck and neck, each team matching each other's last possession.

With 2:16 remaining, Providence's Brooke Dial would make a two, giving them a 60-57 lead. A couple of possessions later, the Vikings trailed 65-62 with 21 seconds on the clock. After a timeout, Ellie Braaten drove down, kicked out a pass to Schwinghammer, where she would hit the game-tying three with eight seconds remaining. With no timeouts remaining, the Agros quickly moved down the court, hitting the game-winning basket in the last seconds of the game.

In the end, the Vikings shot 21-for-58, 6-for-22 from the three-point line, and 17-for-19 from the free throw line. Aslesen totaled 20 points along with five rebounds. Schwinghammer followed with 18 points, seven rebounds, and four steals. Richter finished the game with 16 points and five rebounds.

The Argos shot 23-for-50 from the field, 5-for-12 from the three-point line, and 16-for-22 from the free throw line. They were led by Brooke Dial with 23 points and six rebounds.

UP NEXT: The Vikings will be on the road to take on #17 Rocky Mountain College on Friday, Jan. 9.