The Lakeland University women's basketball team took a big swing at a ranked opponent and just missed its biggest win in years, falling to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point 40-36 Tuesday night at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

Autumn Hennes hit a big three-pointer with 1:36 left to give UW-Stevens Point a four-point lead, a considerable margin in a grinder of a game where points were at a premium. The Pointers-ranked 22nd in the D3hoops.com NCAA Division III top 25 poll-held on the rest of the way and improved to 4-0, while Lakeland lost to a member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for the second time this year and dropped to 1-3 this season.

The three-pointer by Hennes snapped a 4 1/2 minute scoring drought for UWSP in the fourth quarter and came after the Muskies had chances to tie or take the lead on two possessions prior. Lakeland missed a layup and two free throws, and in all was held to three points in the game's final 6 minutes 3 seconds.

The Muskies still drew within one possession one more time when Bailey Grayvold (Sr.-Norway, Mich.) banked in a three-pointer with seven seconds left to make it 39-36. The Pointers iced it two seconds later, though, when Lauren Anklam split two free throws for the final margin.

The Muskies frustrated the Pointers with their zone all night, holding the guests to 31.1% shooting. UWSP made 14 of 45 shots from the field and committed 20 turnovers.

Lakeland also struggled offensively, shooting 26.1% (12-for-46), but found its stroke late in the second quarter when it appeared the Pointers were ready to take control. The Muskies went on a 10-1 run to close the half, with freshman Emma Lehr (Wautoma, Wis.) coming off the bench to hit a pair of three-pointers, including a trip from the left corner just before the buzzer to put Lakeland ahead 20-19 entering the break.

Lakeland also scored the first five points of the second half to extend the run to 15-1, with Lehr hitting a leaner on the left baseline to make it 25-19 with 6:13 left in the third quarter. That was the Muskies' largest lead of the game, and the rest of the contest was a battle every single possession with defenses holding the advantage and neither team able to shake the other.

Grayvold finished with 13 points to lead Lakeland and was the only player on either team to score in double figures. Lehr and Tori Lauren (Fr.-Gwinn, Mich.) both added eight points each off the bench.

Rachel Stankevich (Jr.-Goodman, Wis.) posted a game-high nine rebounds, Kayla Clark (Sr.-West Bend, Wis.) finished with five assists and Maddy Doll (Jr.-Florence, Wis.) totaled three blocked shots. Lauren also led the Muskies with four steals defending in the post.

Lauren Anklam, Bre Richter and Mickey Roland led the Pointers with seven points each. Anklam also added four assists and four steals.

The Muskies now get ready to open Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play on Saturday when they host Edgewood College at 2 p.m. at the Woltzen Gym.