EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – Joann Wolfenberg (Adell, WI/Plymouth Comprehensive) scored a career-high 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the UW-Stevens Point women's basketball team to a 59-53 win over host UW-Eau Claire in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) opener for both teams on Wednesday night at Zorn Arena.

Box Score

Wolfenberg shot 7-for-9 from the field and 6-for-7 at the free-throw line for UW-Stevens Point (4-3, 1-0 WIAC), which defeated UW-Eau Claire (3-4, 0-1 WIAC) for the ninth time in the last 10 meetings. The junior broke her previous career high of 14 points set in the season opener against Luther earlier this season.

A three-point play by Wolfenberg gave UW-Stevens Point a five-point lead with 5:17 remaining but UW-Eau Claire's Kristin Sahr responded with a three-pointer to get the Blugolds back within two. After a scoreless spell of nearly two minutes for both teams, Lauren Anklam (Ringle, WI/D.C. Everest) hit back-to-back buckets to extend the UWSP lead to 54-48 in the final three minutes.

UWEC hit right back with a three by Teenie Lichtfuss but UW-Stevens Point held the Blugolds to two points in the final 1:53 to secure the win. After the teams traded baskets, Anklam hit two free throws to give the Pointers a five-point lead with 32 seconds to go.

UW-Eau Claire led 25-23 at halftime after a low-scoring opening half. Back-to-back three-pointers from Sahr gave the Blugolds a six-point edge at 14-8, the largest lead of the first half for either team.

In addition to Wolfenberg's career night, Anklam had 11 points and Allie Miceli (Marseilles, IL/Ottawa Township) added 10, eight of which came from the charity stripe. The Pointers turned a 42-28 margin on the glass into an 18-8 advantage in second chance points. UWSP made 16-of-19 free throws (84.2 percent) in the second half and held a 22-10 advantage in scoring at the free-throw line.

Sahr led the Blugolds with 13 points and Lichtfuss added 11. UW-Eau Claire shot just 34.5 percent from the field and 5-for-17 (29.4 percent) from behind the arc.

UW-Stevens Point continues a stretch of four consecutive road games by playing at UW-Superior on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 3 p.m.