Box Score
WHEATON, Ill. – Senior guard Haley Houghton (Wausau/Wausau East) (Sr.-Wausau/East) had a career-high 20 points as the UW-Stevens Point women's basketball team pulled away late to defeat Wheaton College 65-54 today at King Arena.
The Pointers improve to 5-0 for the second consecutive season. For the second day in a row Stevens Point hands its opponent its first loss of the season as Wheaton drops to 3-1. The Pointers improve to 5-1 all-time against the Thunder.
Stevens Point got off to a quick start once again as they began the game with a 12-2 run with Houghton scoring six of the 12 points. However, the Thunder kept the Pointer lead in single digits the rest of the first half as Stevens Point was held to its lowest point total in the first half since they scored 25 in the first half against UW-Whitewater on February 7, 2007. The score at halftime was 26-23 Pointers.
The Pointers shot 43 % in the first half, while the Thunder were held to 36 %. Both teams went a combined 1-for-12 on three-point attempts in the half.
Wheaton, who scored the last four points of the first half, scored the first five points of the second half to take a 28-26 lead. It was the first time this season that the Pointers have trailed in the second half. Stevens Point responded with a 6-0 run and went up 32-28 after a pair of Chelsea Kranz (Columbus/Columbus) (Sr.-Columbus) free throws.
The Thunder came back to tie it up at 36-36 with 13:10 left to play in the game. Haley Houghton (Wausau/Wausau East) then gave the Pointers the lead for good draining a three-pointer with 12:15 on the clock. The Thunder cut the lead to 54-51 with five minutes remaining, but Wheaton would not make another field goal the rest of the way. The Thunder made three free throws, but missed their final six field goal attempts as the Pointers went 5-for-6 from the free throw line in the final five minutes to pull away and win by a score of 65-54.
Stevens Point shot 44 % from the field for the game and was 17-for-20 from the free throw line. The Thunder shot 32 % from the field. The Pointers controlled the paint outscoring the Thunder 36-24 down low and outrebounding Wheaton 41-34.
Houghton's 20 points was a game-high. Jesirae Heuer (Wisconsin Rapids/Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln) (Sr.-Wisconsin Rapids/Lincoln) had 16 points and led the Pointers with eight rebounds. Kranz and Jessi Sporle (Mineral Point/Mineral Point) (Jr.-Mineral Point) each had 10 points. Kathleen Fidelia and Whitney Edgecomb each had 12 points to lead the Thunder.
The Pointers will play again next Saturday as they begin conference action against UW-Whitewater. The action is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. in Whitewater.
