EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) - The Blugold women's basketball team lives and dies with the three. In Wednesday night's conference opener, they suffered the latter fate, falling 59 to 55.

It was a tale of two halves against a tough and physical University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point team.

The first half saw the Blugolds as the team who shot 40 percent from the three-point line and 87.5 percent from the free throw line. They were the team led by senior captain Kristin Sahr (Sr.-Stillwater, Minn.) who scored 10 points including two for three from behind the arc.

In the second, they fell cold from the field, shooting 34.4 percent from the field and a frigid 25 percent from deep.

"We shoot a lot of threes and that's how live and die right now," said head coach Tonja Englund.

A tough and physical game, the Blugolds were bullied in the paint where they afforded Stevens Point 29 free throws. The Pointers converted 22 of them.

The veteran leadership that had carried the team had an off night tonight, and junior Teenie Lichtfuss (Oshkosh, Wis.) and senior Courtney Lewis (Prairie Du Chien, Wis.) combined to go five of 19, while Sahr contributed only three points in the second half.

Sophomore Ellen Blacklock (Winona, Minn.) was a pleasant surprise tonight.

After averaging 12 minutes a game, she was pressed into action as the Blugolds interior players accumulated fouls early in the first half.

Her seven points won't astound, but she provided vital defense against a potent presence. 

The Blugolds (3-4, 0-1 WIAC) return to action Saturday at 3 p.m. at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

-MF-