UW-L Falls in Conference Opener at UW-Stevens Point

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Stevens Point, Wis. - The UW-La Crosse women's basketball team fell 74-61 at 20th-ranked UW-Stevens Point Wednesday night in Berg Gym in the Eagles' Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) opener. UW-L drops to 3-5 overall and 0-1 in the league while UW-Stevens Point improves to 6-1 overall and 1-1 in the WIAC.

It is UW-Stevens Point's 15th win in the last 16 meetings with UW-L.

The Eagles led by as many as five points in the first half at 19-14 with 12:07 remaining before the Pointers went on a 6-1 run to tie the contest at 20-20 with 8:19 left. The game was tied 24-24 with 2:42 remaining in the first half, but UW-Stevens Point scored the final four points of the half to lead 28-24.

UW-Stevens Point went on a 18-6 run to begin the second half to lead 46-30 with just over 15 minutes left. The Pointers led by as many as 21 points in the second half and the Eagles could get no closer than 13 the remainder of the game.

Mackenzie Hunter led UW-L with 17 points, finishing seven-of-16 from the field and three-of-three at the free throw line. Lindsay Wahl, Dana Churchill and Melissa Lang each scored 10 points for the Eagles. Wahl had a game-high six rebounds.

UW-L shot 36.4% from the field, but missed all eight of its three-point attempts. The Eagles were 13-of-15 (86.7%) at the line.

Ali Nicastro led UW-Stevens Point with 16 points off the bench, totaling five-of-seven from the field and six-of-seven at the free throw line. Laura Neuenfeldt added 13 points for the Pointers while Haley Houghton had 12. The Pointers shot 45.1% from the field, including 38.5% (five-of-13) from three-point range. The team was 23-of-27 (85.2%) at the line.

UW-L returns to action Saturday, December 8 hosting UW-Eau Claire at 3 p.m. in Mitchell Hall.