EAU CLAIRE - The UW-Eau Claire women's basketball team picked up its first conference win of the season tonight and snapped a four-game losing streak as it upset UW-Stevens Point 67-63.

With the win the Blugolds improve to 6-9 overall and 1-5 in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) play. The loss drops the Pointers to 11-5 overall and 4-3 in WIAC play.

This game went back-and-forth the entire night. There were six ties in the first half alone. The Blugolds got up early on the Pointers, going up 12-3 nine minutes into the game. Stevens Point would then answer with a 12-0 run to go up 17-14 with 6:17 to play in the first half.

The Pointers would go into halftime with a 29-27 advantage. The Pointers had just as many free throw attempts as field goal attempts in the half, 20, but would only make half of them. In a sloppy half, both teams combined for 29 turnovers. The Blugolds outscored the Pointers 16-4 in points off turnovers in the half.

Down 30-27 early in the second half, the Blugolds would go on an 8-0 run capped off by two Heidi Arciszewski (Fr.-Thorp, WI) free throws to go up by four with 15:23 to play. The Blugolds would build that lead to as much as seven with 12:36 to go.

The Pointers would then answer with a 7-0 run to tie the game up for the eighth time. The Pointers would eventually take a 57-56 lead with 5:13 remaining. The Blugolds would then regain the lead on an Arciszewski jumper with five minutes to play.

The Blugolds would then hang on as a tying three-pointer by Stevens Point was off the mark with three seconds left. A Brittanni Hakanson (Fr.-Wheeler, WI/Boyceville) free throw would seal the deal as the Blugolds went on to win 67-63.

The Blugolds shot 28 second half free throws and made 64% of them. Both teams combined for 63 free throws in the game. The Blugolds had 29 points off Pointer turnovers compared to just nine points for the Pointers.

Brittanni Hakanson led the Blugolds in scoring with 18 points. She also had a career-high in rebounds with nine. Arciszewski added 12 points for the Blugolds. Arciszewski had a career-high six assists.

The Blugolds will hit the road to face UW-Platteville on Saturday as part of a men's and women's doubleheader. The women will play the first game of the doubleheader with the tip scheduled for 5 p.m.

Eau Claire-Stevens Point Box Score

- JR -