PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point women's basketball team (11-1, 1-0) opened conference play with a 62-44 road win at UW-Platteville (6-6, 0-1).
 
Maija Rice (L'Anse, Mich./L'Anse Area) recorded her first career double-double for the Pointers with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Alexa Thomson (De Pere, Wis./West) also had a double-double with 13 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Gabby Gawlitta (Franklin, Wis./Franklin) led all scorers with 15 points.
 
Gawlitta scored the first bucket of the game and Ava Loftus (Stoughton, Wis./Stoughton) buried a three, but the game remained tied at 5-5 midway through the first. Gawlitta, Courtney Krueger (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) and Thomson had two points each and the game was tied, 11-11, after one.
 
Karissa Smith (Freedom, Wis./Appleton North) opened the second with a three-pointer. Rice got on the board with a layup as did Lily Truchon (Herbster, Wis./South Shore), but the Pioneers kept pace at 18-18. Truchon and Rice combined for the final 12 points of the half and UWSP led 26-21 at halftime.
 
Thomson and Gawlitta combined for 15 points during a 15-4 run by the Pointers in the third quarter and the Pointers were up 44-33 heading to the fourth.
 
Krueger had four points in the first half of the final stanza. Rice went 6-for-6 from the free-throw line late in the fourth to close out the win.
 
The Pointers host UW-Whitewater on Wednesday (Jan. 8). Tip-off in Berg Gym is slated for 7:00 p.m.