Stevens Point 74, Yellowjackets 55
Box Score

When the 2011 WIAC pre-season poll came out, the Yellowjackets were chosen to finish eighth in this season's derby, while Saturday's opponent, UW-Stevens Point, was the pick of six of the WIAC's nine sports information directors to win the league.  In other words, the Yellowjackets should have had no shot at being in the game, but nobody told the Yellowjackets themselves. 

A two-point deficit at halftime was turned into a two-point lead early in the second half, but eventually the Yellowjackets fatigued and faded down the stretch, falling 74-55 in their WIAC season opener at Berg Gymnasium in Stevens Point.

Both teams came out ice cold in the first half, which contributed to neither team being able to jump out to a double-figure lead.  The Yellowjackets shot 25.9% from the field in the first half, and that was the better percentage of the two teams.  The Pointers shot just 23.5%.  The teams combined to shoot 1-15 from three-point range.  The score was tied 13-13 with just over nine minutes left in the half before the Pointers went on a 7-0 run to build a 20-13 lead.  Hillary Peterson (Sturgeon Lake, Minn./Moose Lake) hit a jumper to stop the bleeding and pull the Yellowjackets back to within five.  The Yellowjackets would close the gap down the stretch, going on an 8-3 run, paced by four points from Hailey Hart (Osseo, Wis./Osseo-Fairchild), and went to the locker room trailing by just two at 25-23.

In the second half, the Pointers wore the Yellowjackets down with their depth, as was evidenced by their points off the bench.  The fact that they shot over 53% in the second half didn't hurt, either.

Just 2:32 in, the Yellowjackets jumped to a three-point lead at 30-27 when Connie Urmanski (Edgar, Wis./Edgar) hit the first three-pointer of the game for the Yellowjackets.  From there, however, it was all Pointers.  The Pointers went on a 19-4 and by the midpoint of the second half led 48-35.  The Yellowjackets would get it back to single digits, trailing 48-40 at one point, but the Pointers would go on yet another one and turn the game into a rout.

The bench made the difference for the Pointers, as they outscored the Yellowjackets 36-5.

Sally Linzmeier (Valders, Wis./Valders) led the Yellowjackets with 17 points, while Urmanski added 12.  Hart pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.  Kailee McDonald (Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti) led the Yellowjackets with four assists.

Peterson and Urmanski each had one block.  Four different Yellowjackets had one steal in the game.

The Yellowjackets (3-3, 0-1 WIAC) will continue conference play on Wednesday, December 7 when they play host to UW-Stout at 7:00 p.m. at Mertz Mortorelli Gym.