SIOUX CITY, IOWA – (VCSUVikings.com)  The Valley City State University women’s basketball team suffered its first defeat of the season after an 86-51 loss to Briar Cliff University Saturday afternoon.

The Chargers totaled 17 steals and 35 points off turnovers to help the home win. VCSU drops to 3-1 on the season while Briar Cliff improves to 2-0.

The Vikings kept the game close early, finishing the first quarter with six of the final eight points to trail just 19-14. From there, Briar Cliff shot 57 percent in the second quarter to pull away with a 43-28 halftime lead.

The Vikings pulled within 11 points on a basket from Ellie Braaten with 7:09 to go in the third quarter, but the Chargers wouldn’t let up down the stretch. The Vikings managed just nine shots and scored seven points in the final 10 minutes as Briar Cliff held on for the win.

VCSU shot 36 percent from the field (19-52), 16 percent from 3-point range (3-19) and 53 percent from the free throw line (10-19). Briar Cliff shot 44 percent overall (31-71), 25 percent on 3’s (4-16) and 77 percent on free throws (20-26).

VCSU’s Ashlyn Diemert posted 14 points and six rebounds while Tilda Mauritzson added 10 points and six rebounds. The Vikings totaled 38 rebounds, including five on the offensive side. Ellie Braaten and Aubrey Prunty added seven points apiece and Abby Aslesen chipped in six.

Briar Cliff’s Adrianna Webster totaled a game-high 32 points Saturday while contributing eight rebounds, four assists and three steals to help the Charger win.

UP NEXT: VCSU hosts a doubleheader against University of Minnesota Morris on Wednesday, Nov. 6. The Viking women tip at 5 p.m. followed by the men at 7 p.m. at the W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse.