LA CROSSE, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point women's basketball team (12-2, 2-1) suffered its first league loss, 64-59, at UW-La Crosse (9-5, 1-2) on Saturday.
 
Maija Rice (L'Anse, Mich./L'Anse Area) led UWSP in scoring with 15 points. Gabby Gawlitta (Franklin, Wis./Franklin) added 12 points and recorded her fifth double-double of the season with a team-best 10 rebounds. Alexa Thomson (De Pere, Wis./West) was also in double figures with 11 points.
 
Thomson drained an early three-pointer and scored UWSP's first five points. But the host Eagles finished the first quarter with a 19-7 lead.
 
Courtney Krueger (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) and Rice each hit from beyond the arc amid an 11-0 run by the Pointers to start the second quarter. Again, the Eagles put up a big run and pushed the UWSP deficit to double figures at the half, 33-22.
 
Rice completed an and-one and Brenna Gehri (Oshkosh, Wis./West) made a layup to cut the deficit to four at 35-31 with 5:41 left in the third. Gawlitta scored UWSP's next five points and UWL pushed the lead back to double digits, 52-38, after three.
 
Rice had four points early in the fourth as UWSP chipped away at the deficit. Keira Maki (Escanaba, Mich./Escanaba) added four points and a jumper by Thomson got the Pointers within three with two minutes remaining. Rice buried a three to halt a5-0 run by UWL, but the Eagles held on for the win.
 
The Pointers are home on Wednesday (Jan. 15) for a 7:00 p.m. matchup with UW-River Falls.