ROCK ISLAND, Illinois - The Prairie Fire women's basketball team dropped their season opener 57-55 to Augustana on Tuesday night.

The Vikings jumped out to a 10-4 lead in the first quarter, but Knox came back to tie the game at 12-12 to finish the quarter.

The Prairie Fire took the lead early in the second period when Saxon Alvarez hit a three-pointer, but Augustana battled back and held a 28-27 lead heading into halftime.

The teams exchanged leads in the early going of the second half, but the Vikings pulled away to a 40-34 lead entering the final quarter.

Augustana added onto their lead early in the fourth period, taking a 12-point lead with 8:07 left to play. Knox stormed back to take a 49-48 lead just four minutes later. After some back and forth, the Vikings took the lead for good with 1:33 to play. 

Catessa Duran led the Prairie Fire with 11 points and five rebounds. Sarina Dacio added nine points and Haylee Carpenter tallied eight points.

"The first outing of the season didn't finish as we hoped," said head coach Kira Mowen. "There are a lot of positives to take away from today's game. I loved our fight in the 4th quarter down 12 and I was happy to see us pull back and take the lead. We have a lot of work to do, but we are making the right strides at the right time. This season will be a marathon not a sprint. We are super thankful for everyone who attended tonight as well as those who watched online. Back to work on Thursday as we prepare for Buena Vista."

Knox returns to action on November 12 as they welcome Buena Vista for their home opener.