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SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Alyssa Olp (Brillion, WI/Brillion) scored a team-high 14 points and was one of three players to score in double figures, but it was not enough as the seventh-ranked UW-Stevens Point women's basketball team suffered its first loss of the 2011-12 season Thursday evening, falling 74-66 to Point Loma Nazarene.

Point Loma (8-4), a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) school, kept the game close in the opening minutes of the first half before UWSP was able to pull in front.

The Pointers used a 19-7 run midway through the opening half to open up a 12-point edge, 29-17, with 2:14 remaining. Nazarene managed a 10-2 run over the final two minutes of the half, cutting the UWSP lead to just four, 31-27, at intermission.

The second half was a tight battle the entire way, as the teams traded the lead six times and tied the score on another six occasions. Ashley Averkamp (New Berlin, WI/West)'s jumper with 8:52 tied the score at 50, but Nazarene capitalized on a 12-4 run over the next five minutes to open up an eight-point edge at 62-54.  

A late run by the Pointers cut the deficit to four with just 53 seconds remaining thanks to a three-pointer by Brooke Allen (Barneveld, WI/Barneveld), but the Sea Lions connected on all six of their free throw opportunities in the final minute to secure the eight-point victory.

Olp added five assists and six rebounds to her team-high 14 points while Myranda Tyler (Grafton, WI/Grafton) finished with 11 points and five rebounds and Averkamp finished with 10 points and six rebounds.

Nyla Bailey led all scorers with 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the floor.

UW-Stevens Point (10-1) closes out its trip to San Diego on Thursday afternoon with a game against Wellesley. The game is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. Pacific start.