NAPERVILLE, Ill. – The UW-Stevens Point women's basketball team (6-3) jumped out to a 10-0 lead, but needed a late rally to hold off North Central (4-5) for a 57-51 win on Wednesday.
 
Jamie Pfeifer (Wisconsin Dells, Wis./Wisconsin Dells) and Jessica Slowik (Elcho, Wis./Elcho) had 10 points each to lead UWSP in scoring.  Kelly McIntyre (Waukesha, Wis. /North) pulled down a season-high 11 rebounds.
 
Taylor Greenheck (Prairie Du Sac, Wis./Sauk Prairie) and Alexa Thomson (De Pere, Wis./West) each hit from beyond the arc as the Pointers raced out to a 10-0 lead midway through the first quarter.  Free throws by Pfeifer and Anna Schoenike (Fort Atkinson, Wis./Fort Atkinson) extended UWSP advantage to a game-high 13 with less than two minutes left in the first.
 
The hot start quickly fizzled in the second quarter as Pfeifer hit UWSP's lone field goal as UWSP mustered just four points, but still led at the break, 24-21.
 
Pfeifer hit again from the field to halt a 4-0 burst by NCC to open the third as the teams began a jostle for the lead.  Slowik and Abbie Campion (Janesville, Wis./Milton) scored UWSP final 10 points of the quarter as UWSP regained an edge, 41-39, heading the fourth.
 
McIntyre and Pfeifer made baskets as UWSP pulled ahead by five, 45-40.  The Cardinals reeled off seven straight before Schoenike tied the game at 47-47 with a layup sparking UWSP's own 6-0 run to regain the lead for good.  Josie Nies (Platteville, Wis./Platteville) iced the game with three free throws in the final 30 seconds.
 
The Pointers will next travel to Ripon on Dec. 18 for a 1:00 p.m. matchup with the Red Hawks.