Box Score

STEVENS POINT - The fifth-ranked UW-Stevens Point women's basketball team defended their Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament crown in thrilling fashion Saturday evening as they defeated the UW-Eau Claire Blugolds 46-42 at Berg Gym. 

The Blugolds came out playing stifling defense, as they jumped out to a 10-3 lead eight minutes into the contest. The Pointers mustered just five points in the first thirteen minutes as their offense struggled to get in sync. 

But the Pointers would not be held back long as they put together a furious 16-4 run to end the half. They headed to the locker room with a 21-18 lead and momentum on their side. 

The Pointers continued their hot streak in the second half as they opened up their largest lead of the game at 27-18 with 16:47 remaining in the second half following a three-pointer by Janell Van Gomple (DeForest, DeForest). 

The Blugolds crawled back to within one at 32-31 after a jumper by Hannah Mesick with 7:09 remaining in the contest. UWSP responded with a 9-0 run and held Eau Claire scoreless for nearly seven minutes. 

But the Blugolds would not go away as they took advantage of several missed free throws by the Pointers and closed the gap to two following a long three-pointer by Heather Witt. 

On the ensuing possession, Britta Petersen (Luck, Luck) was fouled following a key offensive rebound. She hit both free throws, extending the Pointers lead to four at 43-39. 

The Blugolds promptly responded as Pam Kaye hit a big three-pointer which sent the visiting fans to their feet. Eau Claire was forced to foul on the inbound pass which sent Andrea Flease (New London, New London) to the line for two shots. 

Flease hit both free throws and gave the Pointers a 45-42 lead with just :13 showing on the clock. On the other end, Katie Weinberg launched a three from the top of the key which sailed a little long as the rebound went out to Flease with two seconds remaining. 

She iced the game with a free throw and secured back-to-back WIAC Tournament championships for the Pointers with the 46-42 victory. 

The Blugolds were led by Heather Witt and Hannah Mesick who each had 10 points. For the game, Eau Claire shot just 31 percent from the field and 17 percent from behind the arc. 

Petersen had a game-high 16 points for UWSP. Flease and Katie Webber (Reedsburg, Reedsburg) each chipped in eight points, while Jessi Sporle (Mineral Point, Mineral Point) led the way with eight rebounds. 

With the victory, the Pointers receive the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament. The pairings for the tournament will be known Monday morning. It is the third conference tournament title in team history and will be their sixth NCAA Tournament appearance.