Box Score UW-Whitewater, ranked sixteenth by D3hoops.com, defeated twelfth-ranked UW-Stevens Point 58-55 Wednesday night in the Berg Gym in Stevens Point. Free throws provided the winning margin with the Warhawks making 10-15 in the game compared to 4-12 for the Pointers. UW-W improves to 7-2 overall and 4-0 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Stevens Point falls to 5-3 and 1-2 in league play.

The first half had its share of oddities.  Point scored first at 19:39, then went almost three minutes without another point.  Whitewater went the first 2:26 of the game without scoring.  Whitewater got out their funk in time to run off a 13-2 streak that gave UW-W a 13-4 lead at 12:36.  Point still led at 16-15, but the Warhawks came back with a 14-5 run that put the Warhawks in front 30-20 at 2:33.  The half ended with Whitewater leading 30-24.

Whitewater shot 36% from the field, Point 37%.  UW-W went 1-4 from three point range and 3-5 at the line.  The difference in the half came as a result of the Pointers going 0-5 from beyond the arc and 0-5 from the line.  UW-W freshman center Lisa Palmer (Bartlett, IL/Bartlett) led both teams with eight points and five rebounds.

Point opened the second half on fire, reeling off a 16-2 bulge that put UW-SP up 40-32 with 13:19 on the clock.  Senior center Cortney Kumerow (Bartlett, IL/South Elgin)'s basket in the lane cut the lead to 42-41, and at the 7:52 mark junior guard Mary Merg (Greendale/Greendale) tied the game with a fastbreak layup.  Katie Burton (Crystal Lake, IL/Crystal Lake South) put UW-W in front 46-44, and the Warhawks' lead inched up to 57-48 on a layup by junior guard Kaitlyn Thill (Belgium/Ozaukee).  But UW-SP's Sam Barber hit a three with 0:41 left in the game to pull the Pointers within two, 57-55. 

With six seconds left and Whitewater trying to milk the clock, Megan Theune (Whitewater/Whitewater) ended up taking the shot, missing, but grabbing her rebound to put Whitewater in a position to run out the clock.  Point fouled Merg, who made a free throw with three seconds left for a three point lead, 58-55.   Point could not score on their final possession.

Kumerow led the Warhawks with 12 points and eight rebounds. UW-SP's junior post Myranda Tyler took game honors with 17 points. Senior guard Sam Barber added 10 points and nine boards for the Pointers.

UW-Whitewater will participate in a tournament hosted by Hope College (MI) Friday and Saturday.  The Warhawks will face Kalamazoo College at 4:30 Friday, and matchup with host Hope College at 2:00 Saturday.  The next home game for the Warhawks will be January 9 at 7:00 with UW-Platteville visiting Kachel Gym in Williams Center.



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