Blue Devils squeak past Women's Basketball, 71-69

MENOMONIE, Wis. -- The University of Wisconsin-Platteville women's basketball team was nipped by UW-Stout, 71-69, on Saturday at Johnson Fieldhouse. 

Rachel Cropp led all scorers with 18 points and added six rebounds and three assists. Keeley Schulz and Morgan Hartman each totaled 11 points, while Stacy Clark contributed 10 points and eight rebounds. 

With eight lead changes in the first 15 minutes of the game, the Blue Devils managed to take a 31-25 lead with 3:18 till halftime. The Pioneers closed out the final two minutes of the half on an 8-0 run, taking a 33-31 lead into the locker room. 

A pair of free throws by Taylor Buckmaster gave the Pioneers their largest lead of the game, 43-37, with 14:17 left to play. Stout held the Pioneers from pulling away and battled back to regain the lead at the 9:39 mark, 50-48. 

The Blue Devils then used a 6-0 run taking a 60-54 lead with 5:50 left to play. The Pioneers answered with a three-pointer by Taylor Lorbiecki and a pair of free throws by Hartman to make it a one-point game, 60-59. 

On the ensuing Stout possession, Becca Smith drilled a three-pointer to push Stout's lead back to two possessions, 63-59, with 4:35 left to play. Stout's Haley Froehlich hit a free throw with 26 seconds left to give Stout a 69-63 lead. Hartman cut the lead in half with a 3-pointer seconds later. Smith drained two free throws with 11 seconds remaining for a 71-66 lead.  The Pioneers' Schulz hit a 3-pointer just before the buzzer for the final score.

After shooting 9-of-10 in the first half from the free throw line, the Pioneers couldn't repeat their success in the final 20 minutes making just 12-of-22 from the charity stripe. 

The Pioneers return to Bo Ryan Court on Wednesday Jan. 7 when they host UW-Stevens Point at 7 p.m.