EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – A more than five-minute drought from the floor to begin the second quarter cost the UW-Stevens Point women's basketball team (11-1, 0-1) in a 74-71 defeat at UW-Eau Claire (11-1, 1-0) on Saturday in the conference opener for both squads.
 
Maija Rice (L'Anse, Mich./L'Anse Area) led all scorers with a career-best 27 points. She added a game-high six assists and tied for the team lead with eight rebounds. Emma Kilpatrick (Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly) and Jessilyn Ernst (Pardeeville, Wis./Pardeeville) were also in double figures for the Pointers with 17 and 10 points, respectively.
 
Kilpatrick nailed a pair of threes early and combined with Rice for the first 13 points as UWSP led 13-11. Laney Panich (Wautoma, Wis./Wautoma) drained a three-pointer and UWSP was within one, 19-18, after one.
 
The second quarter started with UWEC beginning with a 13-0 run before a pair of free throws by Rice. Rachel Hagen (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East) made UWSP's first field goal of the period with 4:49 to go. Rice poured in five points late, including an and-one at the buzzer, but the Pointers were down, 40-29, at the half.
 
Rice buried an early three and had the first six points. Kilpatrick followed with the next five, including another three-pointer. Rice scored five-straight and UWSP was down, 57-49, heading to the fourth.
 
Ernst scored four points to start the fourth. Rice added four more from the free-throw line as UWSP battled to cut the deficit. Kilpatrick got the deficit to four with a jumper. Panich did the same with a three with 1:35 remaining. Karissa Smith (Freedom, Wis./Appleton North) drilled a three with 27 seconds left to again get the deficit to three. Rice had a chance to tie at the buzzer, but her three-pointer came up short in the final second.
 
The Pointes will host UW-Whitewater on Wednesday (Jan. 7) in the conference home opener. Tip off in Berg Gym is slated for 7:00 p.m.