Pointers' Late 3 Sinks Pioneers

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. -- Alexa Thomson hit a three-pointer from the right wing with :01.8 seconds remaining to propel the visiting University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point to a 75-72 victory over the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in women's basketball action Saturday afternoon.  The bucket capped a wild final two minutes that featured three lead changes and two ties.  The win improved the Pointers' overall record to 10-8 (3-6 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference).  The Pioneers dropped to 9-12 overall (2-9 in the WIAC).

Defense was the name of the game early as neither team could produce a player to score more than one basket in the first quarter.  Addison Baierl (So./Marshfield, Wis.) sank two free throws late to give the Pioneers a 13-10 lead after one.

Pointer guard Jessica Slowik had a quarter to remember in the second.  The senior guard, who entered the day's action averaging 5 points for game, scored 15 of UWSP's 18 points in the quarter.  A 5-24 3-pt FG shooter through the first 17 games, Slowik hit three of four attempts from downtown.  The Pioneers, who had build a 7-point lead early in the quarter, had no answer for the SP reserve as she ran off the 10 straight points late, allowing the visitors to take a 28-26 advantage into the lockerroom.

After halftime, it was the Pioneers flexing some muscle on the offensive end.  Eight Platteville players scored as part of a 30 point third quarter.  The Pioneers shot 11-16 FG (69%), a perfect 2-2 from long range, and 6-7 from the free throw line as they re-took the lead from Point and headed to the fourth with a 56-50 lead.  Platteville did much of their damage in the paint as post players Maiah Domask (Sr./Waupun, Wis.) and Taylor Gilbert (Sr./Kingston, Ill.) each scored 6 points.

The Pioneers maintained a lead between two and six points for much of the fourth.  Sarah Mueller's (So./Stevens Point, Wis.) layup put Platteville up 68-64 with under 3:00 left to play.  Back-to-back "and one" layups by Point gave the team its first lead since the start of the half, 72-70.  With under a minute remaining and still down two, the Pioneers defense stopped UWSP and called timeout.  Out of the break, Platteville got the ball down low to Domask who converted a tough turnaround in the paint to bring the teams even 72-72 with :08.1 on the clock.  That is when UWSP called a timeout to set up what would be Thomson's game-winning three.  Platteville had one last opportunity on a sideline out of bounds in the game's final :01.8 seconds but were unable to get off a shot.

Domask led all scorers and rebounders with 20 and 11 respectively.  Gilbert set a career-high with 17 points on 7-13 shooting.

The Pioneers return to WIAC action on Wednesday, February 9th when they travel to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.  The Warhawks defeated the Pioneers 62-53 back on January 12th and are currently ranked #8 in the latest d3hoops.com "Top 25".  That game is set to begin at 7pm.