STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point women's basketball team (11-10, 3-7) kept pace with No. 23 UW-Whitewater (16-5, 7-3) until the end in a 73-64 home defeat.
 
Alexa Thomson (De Pere, Wis./West) scored a career-high 27 points to lead all scorers. She also topped the Pointers with seven rebounds. Jamie Pfeifer (Wisconsin Dells, Wis./Wisconsin Dells) added nine points.
 
Shots were falling for both teams in the first quarter as the Warhawks shot 5-for-6 from behind the arc, the only three-pointers of the game for UWW. The Pointers were even better from deep, making all three attempts with Thomson, Courtney Krueger (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) and Olivia Hoerl (Chilton, Wis./Chilton) all hitting threes. But UWW led, 23-17, after one.
 
Gabby Gawlitta (Franklin, Wis./Franklin) and Thomson each had four points in the second quarter and Pfeifer buried a three as UWSP got within 31-30 at the break.
 
Pfeifer had four points and Thomson buried a three as UWSP opened the third quarter with a 7-0 run. Thomson added eight more points in the quarter and the Pointers led 50-48 after three.
 
Katelyn Slowik (Elcho, Wis./Elcho) completed an and-one near the middle of the fourth to snap a 10-1 run by UWW. Six-straight by UWW put the UWSP in a double-digit hole before Krueger buried a three with 2:07 remaining. Thomson added five points late, but UWW maintained a multi-possession lead until the end.
 
The Pointers remain at home to take on UW-La Crosse on Saturday (Feb. 4). Tip-off at Shirley Egner Court at Berg Gym is set for 3:00 p.m. and UWSP will be collecting non-perishable food for donation to the Cupboard.