Stevens Point, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse women's basketball team would use a huge second half to help lead them UW-Stevens Points Tuesday night in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament (Presented by Culvers) quarterfinals. 

THE BASICS 
Final Score: # 5 seed UW-La Crosse 71, #4 seed UW-Stevens Point 67
Location: Shirley Egner Court at Berg Gym, Stevens Point, Wis.
Records: UWL 16-10, UW-Stevens Point 18-8
Next Up: UWL advances to play at top seeded UW-Oshkosh on Thursday, February 27. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 pm at the Kolf Sports Center in Oshkosh. #2 seed UW-Stout will host #3 seed UW-Whitewater in the other semifinal match up. UW-Whitewater defeated #6 UW-River Falls 66-52 in the other WIAC Quarterfinal. 

                     
HOW DID IT HAPPEN

• After two minutes of scoreless basketball, both teams traded three-pointers followed by jumpers to make it 5-5 with 7:17 on the clock in the first quarter. UW-Stevens point scored 11 of the next 14 points to lead 16-8 with :17 left in the quarter. Lauryn Milne would hit a layup as time expired to cut their deficit to 16-10 heading into the second quarter.
• The Eagles would continue the run as they out scored the Pointers 11-6 to cut their deficit to 22-21 with 4:57 left in the first half. The Pointers would score 12 of the final 16 points of the half to lead 34-25 at half time. 
• A Maija Rice three-pointer would give the Pointers a 37-27 lead early in the third quarter. UWL would go on a 15-4 run to take its first lead of the game at 42-41 with 2:30 left in the quarter. Molly Janke scored six points and Ali Sprangers added five points to help spark the Eagles run. After UW-Stevens Point took a 45-42 lead UWL scored five of the final seven points as the game was tied at 47 after three quarters. 
• UW-Stevens Point would take a 48-47 lead on a Alexa Thomson free throw to start the scoring in the fourth quarter but UWL would score the next five points on a jumper by Grace Knupp and a three-pointer by Janke. After a Thomson jumper, Kailee Meeker would hit a three-pointer to put UWL up 55-50 with 5:40 remaining. A jumper and four straight frees would give the Pointers a 56-55 lead with 3:59 left in the game. Milne would be fouled on a made layup and convert her free throw followed by a layup from Lindsey Knuth to put UWL back up on top 60-56 (3:10). UWL would then hit nine-of-11 from the free throw line over the final 1:18 of the game to seal the win for the Eagles. UW-Stevens Point would hit three three-pointers in the final minute as they would get as close as 69-67 with :18 remaining. 

FROM THE BOX SCORE

• As a team, the Eagles finished 23-of-49 (46.9%) from the floor including five-of-13 (38.5%) from three-point range. UWL was also 20-of-24 (83.3%) from the free throw line.
• All five Eagle starters were in double figures led by Milne and Sprangers with 13 points each. 
• Knupp added 12 points while Nelson and Meeker each finished with 11 points.
• Nelson also added a team high six rebounds while also dishing out three assists. 
• Knupp recorded a team high four assists to go along with five rebounds. 
• UW-Stevens Point shot 24-of-66 (36.4%) from the floor including six-of-25 (24.0%) from three point range. The Pointers were also 13-of-16 (81.3%) from the free throw line.
• Thomson led the Pointers with 26 points and 11 rebounds while Rice finished with 23 points and six rebounds.