PHOENIX, Ariz. – The UW-Stevens Point women's basketball team (7-3) fell behind early and were unable to fully recover in a 69-61 loss to Williams College (8-2) in opening day action at the Arizona Shootout on Thursday.
 
Junior Taylor Douglas (Brodhead, WI/Brodhead) led the Pointers with 14 points.  She also pulled down seven rebounds.  Seniors Lauren Anklam (Ringle, WI/D.C. Everest), 13, and Autumn Hennes (Kaukauna, WI/Kaukauna), 11, also scored in double figures.  Junior Mickey Roland (New London, WI/New London) secured a team-high nine rebounds for UWSP.
 
Anklam scored the first four points for UWSP, but the Ephs built a 20-4 lead over the first eight minutes of play.  Douglas ended a nearly four-minute drought with a three-pointer as the deficit was 13 points after the first quarter.
 
Douglas and Payton Mix (New London, WI/New London) combined for the first seven points of the second quarter before an Anklam three pulled the Pointers to within seven.  Hennes hit twice from behind the arc late in the second, but the Pointers trailed by eight at the half.
 
Williams opened the second half with a 12-4 run to push the deficit back up to 16 by the middle of the third quarter.  Lexi Roland (New London, WI/New London) scored five-straight points to cut the lead to single digits later in the period.
 
The Pointers and Ephs traded threes early in the fourth and UWSP used an 8-2 spurt to close the gap to nine midway through the fourth.  Williams made free throws down the stretch to maintain the sizable advantage and Hennes hit a three in the closing seconds for the 69-61 final.
 
UWSP concludes non-conference play and action at the Arizona Shootout at 11:00 a.m. CT on Friday against Kenyon College (8-3).