SAINT PETER, Minn. – The UW-Stevens Point women's basketball team (18-9) led with 1.3 seconds left, but two free throws by No. 8/12 Wartburg (26-2) saw the Pointers' NCAA Tournament run end with a 57-56 loss in the opening round.
Senior
Alexa Thomson (De Pere, Wis./West) led the Pointers with 13 points. She finishes her career with 1,161 points, the 12th-most points in program history.
Fellow senior
Courtney Krueger (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) added 10 points, her fifth time in double figures in the last seven games.
Maija Rice (L'Anse, Mich./L'Anse Area) was also in double figures with 11 points.
Senior
Gabby Gawlitta (Franklin, Wis./Franklin) grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
Thomson scored UWSP's first bucket for a 2-0 lead. Krueger later buried a three for a 7-6 advantage. But Wartburg closed the quarter on a 10-0 run and UWSP trailed 16-7 after one.
The Pointers turned the tide in the second quarter. Rice scored the first three points for UWSP. Krueger scored four-straight,
Karissa Smith (Freedom, Wis./Appleton North) buried a three,
Brenna Gehri (Oshkosh, Wis./West) scored a bucket and Gawlitta completed an and-one as an 11-0 run gave the Pointers a 22-21 lead. Rice hit two late free throws and the Pointers were up, 26-24, at the half.
Smith and
Maddie Murphy (La Crosse, Wis./Aquinas) each hit three-pointers bookended by buckets by Thomson as the teams traded lead in the third. A four-minute drought from the floor by both teams saw the game head to the fourth with UWSP trailing, 38-36.
Lily Truchon (Herbster, Wis./South Shore) scored UWSP's first four points of the fourth. Thomson poured in the next seven and a Rice jumper put the Pointers in front by five with 4:33 to go. Krueger drained a three with 2:26 remaining for a 54-50 lead. Rice hit two free throws, but UWSP went scoreless the final 1:55. The defense held the lead until the final 1.3 seconds as the Pointers were called for a foul and Wartburg made both free throws to advance.
UWSP's NCAA Tournament appearance on Friday was the 12th in program history. The 18 wins were the most since the 2015-16 season, the last appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
