STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point women's basketball team (14-4, 4-3) used a 17-0 run to start the third quarter to pull away for a 72-50 win over UW-Eau Claire (6-12, 1-6) on Saturday.
 
Alexa Thomson (De Pere, Wis./West) posted a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Karissa Smith (Freedom, Wis./Appleton North) led the Pointers with a game-high 14 points. Maija Rice (L'Anse, Mich./L'Anse Area) and Gabby Gawlitta (Franklin, Wis./Franklin) were also in double figures with 13 and 10 points, respectively.
 
Rice hit the first of UWSP's nine three-pointers just 84 seconds into the contest. Smith buried the first of her four makes from behind the arc and the Pointers trailed 7-6 midway through the first. Keira Maki (Escanaba, Mich./Escanaba) and Ava Loftus (Stoughton, Wis./Stoughton) each made a bucket, but UWSP was down 13-10 after one.
 
Smith drilled back-to-back threes and Thomson added a long-range make, but the Pointers couldn't shake the Blugolds. Smith and Courtney Krueger (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) each drained a three and UWSP took a 35-30 lead into halftime.
 
Gawlitta had eight points, Rice added four and Maddie Murphy (La Crosse, Wis./Aquinas) buried a three to cap a 17-0 start to the third quarter by the Pointers. Murphy hit another three and the Pointers took a commanding 58-34 lead to the fourth.
 
Lily Truchon (Herbster, Wis./South Shore) had four points and five other Pointers had a bucket each culminating with Laney Panich (Wautoma, Wis./Wautoma) hit her first basket at home.
 
The Pointers will begin the second half of league play at UW-Whitewater on Wednesday (Jan. 29) at 7:00 p.m.