Janell Van Gomple (DeForest/DeForest) scored a career-high 16 points, but it wasn't enough to help the UW-Stevens Point women's basketball team overcome its difficulties at UW-Stout's Johnson Fieldhouse as the Pointers fell to the Blue Devils 71-68 on Saturday in Menomonie.

The Pointers have now lost 18 of their last 19 trips to Menomonie and fell to 9-3 overall and 3-3 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with the three defeats coming by a combined total of 11 points. UW-Stout took over sole possession of first place in the WIAC and is now 12-3 overall and 5-1 in the league.

Van Gomple nearly aided an improbable rally for the Pointers, who trailed by seven points with 1:18 to play, by hitting a three-pointer with four seconds left to cut the lead to one point. UW-Stout's Joanna Bird missed two ensuing free throws with 3.8 seconds remaining, but the Blue Devils' Lindsey Geissler tracked down the rebound in the corner and made two free throws after being fouled with 1.1 seconds left. The Pointers were unable to attempt a desperation three-pointer in the final second.

UW-Stout also had a big offensive rebound after a missed free throw with 10 seconds left. Leading by three points, Geissler missed two free throws, but Kelsey Duoss rebounded the second miss for the Blue Devils and was fouled. She also missed the first free throw, but made the second for a four-point lead before Van Gomple's three-pointer, which was the Pointers' only successful shot in 14 attempts from behind the arc. UW-Stout was 25-for-39 from the free throw line, including four-for-13 in the final 1:06 of the game as the Pointers committed a total of 30 personal fouls.

A see-saw first half featured 11 lead changes with UW-Stout scoring two field goals in the final 42 seconds to take a 33-29 lead into halftime. The Blue Devils held the Pointers without a point and forced six turnovers over a span of 4:22 in the second half, using a 6-0 run to expand the lead to 50-42 with 9:34 left. However, the Pointers used a 9-1 run of their own capped by a Van Gomple layup to tie the game at 51-51 with 7:37 left.

The game was tied 53-53 with 5:50 remaining when Duoss made two free throws after grabbing an offensive rebound. She followed with another basket and Kim Stokke added a free throw as the Blue Devils took control with a 58-53 lead with 3:58 to play.

Duoss finished with a game-high 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Geissler had 12 points. Haley Houghton (Wausau/Wausau East) chipped in 11 points and Nathalie Lechault (Chavannes de Bogis, Switzerland/Int'l School of Geneva) had 10 points for the Pointers.