STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point women's basketball team (18-8) fell in the WIAC Tournament first round (presented by Culver's) to visiting UW-La Crosse (16-10) by a 71-67 final.
 
Maija Rice (L'Anse, Mich./L'Anse Area) poured in a career-high 23 points for UWSP. Alexa Thomson (De Pere, Wis./West) scored 26 points for the third-straight game to lead all scorers. She also notched her third-consecutive double-double with a game-high 11 rebounds.
 
Thomson made a three to open the scoring and Karissa Smith (Freedom, Wis./Appleton North) nailed a triple as UWSP took an 8-5 lead. Rice scored the next six UWSP points and the lead was 16-10 after one.
 
Thomson scored six of the first 10 UWSP points in the second. Rice posted the last eight points of the half for the Pointers for a 34-25 advantage at the break.
 
Rice buried a three and combined with Thomson for 11 points in the third, but UWL rallied to send the game to the fourth tied at 47-47.
 
Thomson scored the first seven points for the Pointers in the fourth as UWSP kept close at 55-54. Rice made a pair of free throws, but a 9-0 run by UWL put UWSP behind, 64-56 with 37 seconds left. Thomson buried a three. Courtney Kreuger and Thomson hit from behind the arc in the closing seconds, but UWL was 4-for-4 from the free-throw line to seal the win.
 
The Pointers have 18 wins through WIAC Tournament play, the most since the 2015-16 season. The NCAA Tournament selection show is on Monday (March 3) at 1:30 p.m. on NCAA.com.