Box Score

STEVENS POINT – The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point women's basketball team's season came to a stunning end tonight as it fell to St. Norbert College 71-57 in the first round NCAA Division III Basketball Tournament at Berg Gym.

The Pointers suffered their first loss of the season on their home court and came into the tournament on an eight-game winning streak after winning the WIAC Tournament Championship. It's also the first loss against a non-conference opponent in 20 consecutive games.

In front of a nearly packed Berg Gym, the Green Knights got out to a quick start scoring the first eight points of the game. Britta Petersen (Luck/Luck) (Fr.-Luck) got the Pointers on the scoreboard, but St. Norbert extended its lead to ten with 14:40 left in the first half.

The Pointers then went on a 12-4 run to cut the lead to two halfway through the first half. Laura Neuenfeldt (Two Rivers/Two Rivers) (Sr.-Two Rivers) had the final nine points during that span. Stevens Point tied it 21-21 after a Chelsea Kranz (Columbus/Columbus) (Sr.-Columbus) free throw with under seven minutes remaining. However, the Green Knights would not relinquish the lead and went into halftime with a 31-27 advantage.

Stevens Point shot just 35 % in the half, while the Green Knights were 54 %. St. Norbert outscored Stevens Point 18-10 in the paint.

The Green Knights grew their lead to nine the first minute of the second half. The margin remained around nine until the Pointers got it down to three after a pair of Ali Nicastro (Mondovi/Mondovi) (Sr.-Mondovi) free throws with less than 12 minutes to play.

However, St. Norbert responded with a 15-2 run to take a 58-42 lead with seven minutes left. The lead got up to 17 with five minutes remaining and the Pointers only got as close as nine the rest of the way as the Green Knights prevailed 71-57.

Stevens Point shot 39 % for the game, while St. Norbert finished at 53 %. The Pointers committed 19 turnovers.

Laura Neuenfeldt (Two Rivers/Two Rivers) led the Pointers in her final collegiate game with a career-high 21 points. Chelsea Kranz (Columbus/Columbus) added 12 points in her final collegiate game. Linsey Propson had 20 points to lead St. Norbert.
The Pointers end with an overall record of 24-5. The 24 wins are the fourth-most in program history. Stevens Point also says goodbye to six seniors. Be sure to check the Pointers Athletics web site for future women's basketball news.

The Green Knights move on to face the University of Chicago in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The tip-off for that game is 7 p.m. in Berg Gym.