LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The UW-Stevens Point women's basketball team (4-6) kept the game close and led for part of the first half, but Willamette (4-6) prevailed with a 70-66 win over the Pointers in the D3Hoops.com Classic opening game on Thursday.
Freshman
Amber Baehman (Plainfield, Wis. /Tri-County) recorded her third career double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds for UWSP. She also grabbed two of the Pointers' six steals in the game.
Junior
Carly Cerrato (De Pere, Wis./De Pere) also poured in 15 points and sophomore
Brooke Geier (Kewaunee, Wis./Kewaunee) added 12 in the defeat.
Cerrato nailed her only three of the game just over two minutes in as the Pointers wrapped an 8-0 run to erase a four-point deficit. Baehman snapped a cold streak by both teams and 10-10 tie at the 4:38 of the first.
Kellan Schmidt (Edgerton, Wis./Edgerton) gave UWSP a 16-12 lead, but the Bearcats ended the period on a 7-0 run to put UWSP behind 19-16 after one.
Both teams struggled from the floor to begin the second with Baehman and
Taylor Greenheck (Sauk Prairie, Wis./Sauk Prairie) making buckets and
Jessica Slowik (Elcho, Wis./Elcho) made two free throws to tie the game at 22-22 midway through. Later, Geier hit a triple and
Jordyn Ellis (Winneconne, Wis./Winneconne) added three points, but the Pointers trailed 30-28 at the half.
Baehman drained a three-pointer to open the second half and give UWSP a 31-30 lead. Geier buried another three for a 36-34 lead, but Willamette kept it tight. Cerrato hit a jumper with just over a minute to go, but the Bearcats scored four-straight to end the third ahead 49-44.
Bailee Collins (Milton, Wis./Milton) scored in the opening minute of the fourth, the only points for either team in the first three minutes. Cerrato, Baehman and Geier added eight, six and four points, respectively, down the stretch, but Willamette kept the lead at two possessions the rest of the game to hold on.
The Pointers close out the weekend in Las Vegas against No. 7 Amherst on Saturday (Dec. 29) at 2:00 p.m. CT to wrap up non-conference play.