CLINTON, Iowa - Despite a season-high 23 points from junior guard Kayla Crist of Stanwood, the Ashford University women's basketball game couldn't end No. 21 Grand View University's current seven-game win streak on Saturday, falling 68-61.

Ashford cut down an 18-point second-half deficit down to two with eight minutes remaining, but a decisive run ended the bid for an upset.

The Saints (8-16, 2-11 MCC) gave the Vikings (21-6, 11-2 MCC) all they could handle, but dropped their third straight as Grand View remained one game back of No. 14 Iowa Wesleyan College at the top of the Midwest Collegiate Conference standings.

The inside-outside combo of Grand View's Jennifer Jorgensen and Bailey Schechinger combined for nearly half of their team's points with 13 and 20, respectively. Jorgensen pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds, five on the offensive end.

Senior Shel'si Weaver of Beloit, Wis., contributed 11 points for the Saints while Kelly Fisher of Fremont, Calif, added nine and grabbed six rebounds.

Crist was two points shy of equaling her career high, a 25-point outburst during her freshman year vs. Purdue University Calumet. She erupted for 17 in the first half in just 11 minutes off the bench, drilling three baskets from beyond the arc and making all four of her free throw tries.

Schechinger scored Grand View's first three buckets in the paint and the Vikings built up a nine-point lead after a Jorgensen jumper at the 12:15 mark.

GV led by as many as 18 in the first half after a three-point play by Jorgensen.

But the Saints stormed back in the second half, going on a 16-1 run capped by a trey from senior Jessie Rosenow of Erie, Ill., in the corner that had AU down by just two.

Grand View's response after a time out was an 8-0 run that put them up by double digits again. Crist and Weaver each hit 3-pointers in the closing moments.

The Saints will travel to Trinity International University for a non-conference bout in Deerfield, Ill., on Thursday. Game time is set for 6 p.m.

Monday's originally scheduled home game against Graceland University was cancelled last week.