PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville women's basketball team held off UW-La Crosse to down the Eagles 77-74 on Bo Ryan Court on Wednesday.

The Pioneers improve to 5-1 and start conference action 1-0, while the Eagles fall to 3-5 on the year.

Senior Stacy Clark scored a game-high 19 points, while Rachel Cropp added 17 points and eight assists. Alyssa Krajco scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds with being in foul trouble for most of the second half. Keeley Schulz contributed 11 points and six rebounds.

The Pioneers led by as many as 11 points in the first half, 23-12, but a five-minute 11-0 run by the Eagles tied the game up, 23-23, with 6:14 left in the half. The Eagles looked like they were going to take a seven-point lead into the half, but Cropp drained a three-pointer just past half-court at the buzzer, 40-36.

UW-Platteville came out of the locker room with a 16-0 run, taking a 52-40 lead with 16:29 left to play. The Eagles found a 13-2 run midway through the half, and with a three-pointer by Rachel Atchison, UWL cut its deficit to one, 60-59, with 8:36 remaining.

UW-Platteville Taylor Lorbiecki answered with a three-pointer of her own to put the Pioneers' lead back to two possessions.

Another triple by Atchison with 4:22 left to play gave UWL the lead 69-68.

Clark then gave the Pioneers the lead back on a pair of free throws with 1:56 left to play.

UWL regained a one-point advantage, 74-73, with a minute to go. The Pioneers came up empty on their next possession but managed to keep it a one-point game. Cropp then got fouled with 15.8 seconds left and made both free throws, giving the Pioneers a 75-74 lead.

Out of a UWL timeout, the Eagles' inbound pass was deflected and Cropp came up with the loose ball and was fouled. Cropp made both free throws, making it a three-point game, 77-74. A desperation three-pointer by UWL's Mikayla Simmons was off the mark as time expired as UW-Platteville held on for the win.

The Pioneers hosts UW-Whitewater on Saturday at 7 p.m.