Basketball Falls to #7 Wisconsin Stevens Point

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- The Wellesley College basketball team hung tough with seventh-ranked University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point before falling 62-43 to the Pointers on day two of the Surf N Slam Small College Basketball Tournament on Thursday evening. The tournament is being held in Golden Gym on the campus of Point Loma Nazarene.

Wellesley will now battle tournament hosts, Point Loma Nazarene, tomorrow on the tournament's final day. The Sea Lions were 74-66 winners over Stevens Point in yesterday's tournament action.

UWSP raced out to a 10-4 lead before the Blue cut the deficit to 11-9 on a three point play from Malia Maier at 12:19. The Pointers answered back with a 9-0 run to build a 20-9 advantage, before Morgyne Weaver's bucket snapped Wellesley's dry streak with just under seven to play in the half.  Stevens Point again went on a tear, building a 32-18 lead with 1:40 to play in the half, before back to back threes from Maier and Elisha Orama set the halftime score to 32-24. 

Wellesley kept things close in the second half, cutting the lead to seven points with 16:28 to play. The Pointers, however, built a 49-35 advantage midway through the half. Wellesley would whittle the lead back down to 10 points, but #7 Stevens Point proved to be too much for the Blue, closing out a 62-43 victory. 

Wellesley was led by 10 points from Ashleigh Sargent, while Weaver added eight. Maier added seven points and three steals, while Leslie Leong racked up six points, 12 rebounds and three steals.  

Stevens Point's Sam Barber led all scorers with 17 points, while Cassie Bandow added eight. The Pointers shot 50% from beyond the arc, with Barber racking up five treys.

The Blue will battle Point Loma Nazarene tomorrow at 5:30pm pacific time.