STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point women's basketball team (6-0) used a 16-7 second quarter to defeat visiting Bethany Lutheran (2-8) by a 62-53 final on Saturday.
 
Maija Rice (L'Anse, Mich./L'Anse Area) racked up a game-high 18 points with nine-made field goals. She also led the Pointers in rebounds with seven.
 
Rice opened the scoring with an opening-minute bucket. Karissa Smith (Freedom, Wis./Appleton North) buried a three and the teams were deadlocked at 10-10 after one quarter.
 
Rice made a layup on each end of an 8-0 run by the Pointers to start the second. Aubrey Smith (Cottage Grove, Wis./Monona Grove) and Brenna Gehri (Oshkosh, Wis./West) had four points each as UWSP led, 26-17 at halftime.
 
Rice scored 10 of the Pointers' 18 points in the third quarter, including the first eight and the lead remained nine at 44-35 heading to the fourth.
 
UWSP made 6-of-8 free throws in the fourth quarter and Gehri had four points from the floor as UWSP maintained the lead until the final buzzer.
 
The Pointers travel to Lawrence for a non-conference game on Tuesday (Dec. 9) at 7:00 p.m.