DUBUQUE, Iowa – Junior Josie Nies (Platteville, Wis./Platteville) posted a career-best 15 points to tie for the game-high as the UW-Stevens Point women's basketball team (9-3) defeated Wheaton (7-4) in the opening game of the Loras Tournament, 52-46.
 
Nies was the only Pointer in double figures with her 15 points, but eight other Pointers scoring in the win.
 
Gabby Gawlitta (Franklin, Wis./Franklin) had a game-high 13 points and Alexa Thomson (De Pere, Wis./West) also posted double-digit boards with 10.
 
Jamie Pfeifer (Wisconsin Dells, Wis./Wisconsin Dells) scored UWSP's first four points for an early 4-2 advantage. Gawlitta got into the scoring column with a layup to tie the game at 10-10. Kelly McIntyre (Waukesha, Wis./North) buried a three and Nies scored her first points to cap the 11-2 run to end the quarter as UWSP led, 19-12.
 
Olivia Hoerl (Chilton, Wis./Chilton) scored the first points of the second quarter to extend the run to 13-2. Katelyn Slowik (Elcho, Wis./Elcho) drilled a three and McIntyre scored UWSP's final points of the half as UWSP was up 32-20 at the break.
 
Nies seized control of the game for the Pointers in the third quarter scoring eight of UWSP's 10 points as the advantage remained 12, 42-30, heading to the fourth.
 
Gawlitta had three points early in the fourth and Courtney Krueger (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) made a bucket to maintain a 10-point lead with 4:22 to go. Nies completed an and-one with 1:29 left to push the lead back to double figures and hit two free throws down the stretch to secure the win.
 
The Pointers wrap up 2022 by taking on host Loras at 4:00 p.m. to close out the Loras Tournament.