Feb. 4, 2004

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Game #21

UWM (15-5, 10-0 Horizon)

at

UIC (15-7, 6-4 Horizon)

Thursday, Feb. 5 * 7 p.m. CST

UIC Pavilion * Chicago, Ill.

Milwaukee Radio: WOKY (920 AM), Bill Johnson play-by-play

Milwaukee TV: None

Internet: Live audio at uwmpanthers.com

Tickets: Available, along with bus transportation, through the UWM Ticket Office at 414-229-5886.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee returns to the road Thursday night, visiting Chicago for a contest with UIC. The game tips off at 7 p.m. CST.

* Last Time Out

UWM used a late second-half push to put away a determined UW-Green Bay team in an 81-70 win Saturday night at the U.S. Cellular Arena. The Panthers built a 10-point halftime lead and led by 11 early in the second half before the Phoenix rallied to tie the game at 48. But, UWM quickly restored its lead to seven before putting the game away. Kalombo Kadima scored a career-high 22 points to lead the Panthers.

* Streaking

Saturday's victory over UW-Green Bay pushed UWM's winning streak to nine games, the second-longest streak in the school's Division I history and the longest under Bruce Pearl. Last year, UWM posted a pair of eight-game streaks, one of which consisted entirely of league games. The longest winning streak in the school's Division I history is a 10-game spell in 1992-93. UWM has posted winning streaks of five games or more three other times under Bruce Pearl in his two-plus season as the Panthers' coach. UWM has had league winning streaks of nine, eight and five games under Pearl while, prior to Pearl's arrival at UWM, the Panthers never won more than three-straight league games.

* Running Out In The League

UWM is 10-0 in the Horizon League for the first time in school history. UWM's best start previously was a 3-0 beginning to last season. The Panthers enter play Thursday with a two-game bulge on Wright State and a three-game lead on Green Bay for the top spot in the league standings.

* Winning On The Horizon

The Panthers have found plenty of success in league play over the past two-plus seasons, already adding 10 wins this year to the 13 wins last year and the 11 wins in the league the year before. Bruce Pearl has a 34-8 record in regular-season Horizon League contests in his two-plus years as the head coach at UWM - the best mark of any school in that time span and the best mark by a head coach in his first three seasons in the Horizon League.

* A Salute To January

Saturday's win over Green Bay wrapped up a 9-1 month of January for UWM. The Panthers have posted a 22-4 overall record in the month under head coach Bruce Pearl.

* We Weren't Home For Long

Saturday night was UWM's first appearance at home since Jan. 15 and its first appearance at the U.S. Cellular Arena since Jan. 8. But, the Panthers' home stay was short-lived with the road trip to UIC next on the slate. In fact, UWM has played just five home games since Nov. 29. The good news for UWM, though, is that the Panthers close out the season by playing three of their final five league games - and four of their final six games overall - at home. UWM is 7-1 at home this season and 21-2 in Horizon League home games under Bruce Pearl.

* Victories On The Road

UWM's time on the road has been well-spent as the Panthers have experienced plenty of success. The win at Wright State last Tuesday pushed the Panthers' overall road mark to 7-4 this season and gave UWM a 5-0 mark in league road games, tying a school record. Last year, the Panthers were 8-6 on the road plus 3-2 on neutral floors. The Panthers have now won five league road games for the third year in a row. In two-plus years under Pearl, UWM is 20-18 in true road contests, including 15-6 in league play, and 5-3 in neutral floor contests. In the seven years prior to Pearl's arrival at UWM, the Panthers were just 13-71 on the road. The Jan. 27 win wrapped up a stretch of 12 road games in 16 contests for the Panthers.

* A (Road) League Of Their Own

Prior to Bruce Pearl's arrival in Milwaukee, the Panthers were 7-38 in regular season Horizon League road contests. In the last two-plus seasons under Pearl, UWM is 15-6 on the road in the league. Plus, after recording just two double-digit league road wins in seven seasons, the Panthers have posted 11 double-digit road league wins in the last two-plus seasons - including all of its league road wins this season.

* Impressive Numbers

UWM head coach Bruce Pearl has moved to the top of the charts among Horizon League coaches. His 34-8 record in league games computes to an amazing .810 winning percentage, easily the best among active coaches and a number that will put him at the top of all-time league coaches with at least three years in the league when the season ends. Entering this season, Pete Gillen, who coached in the league at Xavier from 1985-1994, held the honor with a .769 winning percentage. Plus, with one more win, Pearl will move into the top-10 all-time in league wins, a list headed by Detroit's Perry Watson, who has 98 league wins in 10-plus seasons.

* Busting The Bracket

UWM learned Monday it will host Manhattan in a nationally-televised contest during ESPN's Bracket Buster Saturday Feb. 21. The two teams will tip-off at 1 p.m. CST at the U.S. Cellular Arena. Manhattan is a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and is 15-4 overall this season. The Jaspers reached the NCAA Tournament last season and qualified for the NIT two seasons ago. For more information on ESPN's Bracket Buster Saturday, see page nine of the game notes.

* Also On The Schedule

The Panthers's game immediately preceeding the Bracket Buster contest has been moved up by a day. UWM will play at Butler on Wednesday, February 18 instead of Thursday, February 19. The game will still tip off at 6 p.m. CST and is scheduled to be televised on CBS-58 in Milwaukee. The two schools moved the game by mutual agreement to allow for more preparation time for the Bracket Buster contests on Saturday.

* Oh What A Night

Senior Kalombo Kadima earned Horizon League Player of the Week honors after the best night of his collegiate career Saturday. Kadima scored a career-high 22 points to help offset an off-night by the Panthers' top three scorers in helping UWM to a win over UW-Green Bay. Kadima, who had not scored more than 14 points in a collegiate game before Saturday, scored 15 points in the first half alone and made 7-of-10 shots from the field. For the week, Kadima averaged 15.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 4.0 apg in two UWM wins.

* The Point Is ...

The stellar play of Kalombo Kadima Saturday night added another chapter to the impressive stretch UWM's set of point guards have put together. Kadima took over the starting job from Hill Jan. 8 against Butler and both have thrived since, with Hill adding eight points and four assists Saturday night. Since the lineup shift, the pair is combining for 14.0 ppg, 7.5 apg and 5.0 rpg in nearly 47 minutes of action. The two players have also spent time on the floor together, with Kadima playing the off-guard or small forward position while Hill mans the point.

* Packin' Them In

The crowd of 8,703 Saturday night at the U.S. Cellular Arena was the largest regular season crowd for a UWM home game at the arena and the second-largest UWM home crowd in school history. Only the 10,115 that saw the Panthers beat Butler in the league title game last year was larger. UWM is now averaging over 3,700 fans per game - up over 500 per game from last year's regular season. Despite an unfavorable schedule that included a home game on Thanksgiving weekend, a home game two days before Christmas and last year's three biggest home league draws visiting before mid-January, UWM is still averaging nearly 4,300 fans at the arena.

* A Big Draw On The Road, Too

Including Saturday night's crowd, UWM has now played in front of three of the four largest crowds for a league game this season.

1. UWGB @ UWM (1/31) 8,703

2. Cleve. St. @ Wright St. (1/31) 8,403

3. UWM @ UWGB (1/17) 7,522

4. UWM @ Wright St. (1/27) 7,159

* National Numbers

UWM has made its mark in the NCAA's statistical rankings. The Panthers still rank eighth nationally in field goal shooting and are 23rd in scoring offense. Individually, Dylan Page ranks 21st in the nation in scoring while Ed McCants is 14th nationally in three-point field goals made and 22nd nationally in three-point field goal percentage.

* But They're Fighting A Cold

After a hot streak of six 50-percent-or-better performances in seven games, the Panthers have cooled off some from the field in their last two outings. UWM shot 43.9 percent Saturday night against UW-Green Bay after making 42.9 percent of its shots at Wright State last Tuesday. In fact, in the first 20 minutes at Wright State, the Panthers hit on just 28.6 percent of their shots in the first half while scoring just 20 points. The second halves of the last two games have been much better than the first halves, as UWM converted on 61.9 percent of its chances in the second half to score 48 points at Wright State and 50 percent of its chances to score 45 points and beat Green Bay.

* Good Inside And Outside

Ed McCants leads the nation in an interesting category - the most three-pointers made by any player shooting better than 50 percent from the field overall. McCants shoots 50.6 percent from the field overall and had made 64 three-points shots. The 64 3's are nine more than the next person on the list (55-Chez Marks, Morehead State). Dylan Page, who had made 35 three-pointers while shooting 52.4 percent, is 17th on that same list.

* Dynamic Duo

Dylan Page and Ed McCants may each have had off-nights Saturday in the win over UW-Green Bay, but the duo continue to rank among the top 10 scoring duos in the nation. The two combine to average 38.2 ppg, tying them with Jose Juan Berea and Marcus Barnes of Northeastern for the eighth spot overall. The pair of Mike Helms and Rawle Marshall from Oakland lead the nation at 40.5 ppg.

* How About That Trip!

When the schedule was released in the fall, the four-game road trip the Panthers faced in late January seemed daunting. But, UWM went 4-0 on the trip, winning every game by a double-digit margin. On the trip, the Panthers shot nearly 51 percent from the field while limiting opponents to under 39 percent from the field. UWM averaged 78.2 ppg while allowing opponents just 63.2 ppg. And the Panthers posted a balanced attack from their big three on offense, with Dylan Page, Ed McCants and Joah Tucker all averaging between 17.8 and 19.8 ppg.

* More About The 'D'

It could easily get lost in the big numbers the Panthers have been posting offensively, but UWM's defense has done a tremendous job of bouncing back after allowing Youngstown State to shoot better than 60 percent from the field Jan. 15. Opponents have shot just 38 percent from the field in the five contests since. Throw out the 61.2 percent shooting by the Penguins three weeks and UWM has turned the defense up a notch in league play. In the other eight games, UWM has allowed opponents to shoot just 41.0 percent from the field and has held Green Bay, Butler, Cleveland State and Wright State under 40 percent.

* Meanwhile, Back On Offense

You must have lofty shooting numbers as a team to shoot below 44 percent from the field in two-straight games and still be shooting just a shade under 50 percent for the season. After moving above the 50 percent mark after the win at Detroit Jan. 24, UWM is now shooting 49.6 percent from the field as a team - the eighth-best mark in the nation and the top mark in the Horizon League. UWM has shot 50 percent or better 11 times this season and 27 times in the two-plus seasons under Bruce Pearl. The Panthers have also shot 50 percent or better in six of their last nine games. Two of the best outings were a 60.4 percent effort at Loyola Jan. 10 and a 59.2 percent mark Jan. 24 at Detroit. The performance at Loyola marked the first time since Feb. 8, 1996, that UWM shot better than 60 percent from the field. On that date, the Panthers shot 67.8 percent from the field (40-of-59) in a 97-84 win at Cleveland State.

* Putting The Close Ones Away

Saturday's game marked the fifth-straight game in which the Panthers have thrown on a second half run to take control of a close game. At Green Bay Jan. 17, the Panthers used a 28-11 run to turn a one-point deficit into a 16-point lead. Against Cleveland State Jan. 22, the Panthers used a 17-2 run to turn a six-point lead into a 21-point edge. Jan. 24 at Detroit, it was 19-2 run that let the Panthers take charge. Last Tuesday night at Wright State, the Panthers used a 20-7 run to start the second to take control of the game. Then Saturday, a more modest 17-9 run helped UWM break a 48-all tie.

* Playing Well On The Lead

The win on Saturday over UW-Green Bay UWM moved to 14-1 in contests in which it holds a halftime lead. The only time UWM lost was at Santa Clara, seeing a 38-33 halftime edge turn into a heartbreaking 66-64 loss.

* Keeping An Eye On Others

As the Panthers have started to roll through the middle of the season, so have some of their non-league opponents. In fact, the five teams UWM lost to in non-league play have combined for a 69-23 record. Three of the teams are in first place, with Wisconsin leading the Big 10, Air Force leading the Mountain West and Southern Illinois leading the Missouri Valley.

* Ranking Rumbles

UWM has started to climb the ranks in the various mid-major rankings thanks to its eight-game winning streak. The Panthers check in at fifth in the CBSSportsline.com poll and have broken in to the ESPN.com Mid-Major Top 10, holding down the ninth spot. UWM is also up to ninth in the CollegeInsider.com poll. The Panthers have also seen their power ranking rise, hitting 58th in the RPI and 48th in the Jeff Sagarin ratings. Plus, UWM is currently rated as a 13-seed in ESPN.com's Bracketology.

* Page Is A Player

Senior Dylan Page has already been named the Horizon League Player of the Week twice this season, most recently a week ago after a career-high 35-point effort against Loyola capped off a stellar week for himself and the Panthers. For the week, Page averaged 27.3 ppg, making 71.1 percent of his field goal attempts, including 61.5 percent of his attempts from three-point range.

* Passing 1,000

Dylan Page's 23 points Jan. 8 against Butler sent him past the 1,000 mark for his career. Thanks to a 21.0 ppg average this season, he is up to 1,154 points in his career. Page is now one of just seven Panthers to have passed the 1,000-point barrier since UWM moved back to the Division I ranks in 1990. Making Page's accomplishment particularly remarkable is that injury and illness limited him to just 176 points in his first two seasons as a Panther.

* More From The Pages Of Dylan

Dylan Page has either held or shared game-high scoring honors 14 times this season and has been in double figures in scoring in all 20 games this season and in 53 of his last 55 contests. He has also scored 20 or more points 13 times this season, including in six of the last seven games. Page is also making a habit of tallying double-doubles. He tallied his third double-double of the season Dec. 7 at NC State, adding 11 rebounds to his team-high 22 points. His earlier double-doubles came in a 24-point, 12-rebound effort against Southern Illinois and an 18-point, 11-rebound outing against Montana. He now has five career double-doubles.

* Newcomer Of The Year?

Junior Ed McCants continues to make an immediate impact on the Panther rotation this season. The Paris JC transfer stands second on the team in scoring at 17.5 ppg, has scored 20 or more points nine times and has been in double figures in all but two games this season.

* 20-20 Vision

When Dylan Page and Ed McCants each scored 20 points Jan. 15 against Youngstown State, it marked the sixth time this season the two each scored at least 20 points in the same game. Meanwhile, Page, McCants and Joah Tucker all eclipsed the 20-point mark in the Dec. 30 win over Idaho State, marking the first time since last February's win at Loyola that three Panthers scored 20 points or more in the same game.

* Tuning In

This Saturday's game with Wright State will be UWM's eighth television appearance this season. In all, the Panthers will appear on television a minimum of 10 times during the 2003-04 season and the Dec. 7 contest at NC State was their fourth national TV appearance since late last season.

* Past POTW

Joah Tucker opened his UWM career by being named the Horizon League Player of the Week. In his debut Nov. 22 against Montana, Tucker scored 22 points and then was honored two days later. In fact, Tucker's career at UWM got off to a bang, as he scored in double figures in his first nine games. Tucker was chasing Michael Hughes for the best double-figure streak to start a UWM career. Hughes reached double figures in the first nine games of the 1993-94 season. Ed McCants had his career-starting streak snapped at six games. The two did each score in double figures in their first six games as Panthers, making them the first pair to reach double figures in their first six games in school history.

* Doubling Up On The Boards

Senior Dylan Page and sophomore Adrian Tigert combined to make a stellar interior rebounding combination Dec. 7 at NC State, as each player collected 11 rebounds. It's the first time two UWM players have grabbed 10 or more rebounds in a game since Kenny Parker, Jr., collected 12 and Otto McDuffie had 10 in a Jan. 27, 1997 contest at UW-Green Bay.

* League Leaders

Some UWM players are at the top of the Horizon League statistical charts. Dylan Page stands first in the league in scoring and fifth in rebounding. In fact, UWM has three players in the top 10 in the league in scoring, with Ed McCants fourth and Joah Tucker ninth. Tucker is second, Page fifth and McCants eighth in field goal percentage while McCants is third in free throw percentage and first in three-pointers made. As a team, UWM is first in scoring offense and field goal percentage.

* Second In Our Eyes

UWM was picked for second place in a preseason poll of Horizon League coaches, sports information directors and media. UIC was picked as the preseason favorite with UWM narrowly edging Butler for the second spot in the poll. In the same poll, Dylan Page was named a preseason first-team All-Horizon League selection in the same league poll. Page is a candidate for Horizon League Player of the Year after he averaged nearly 18 ppg and 6.5 rpg a season ago while scoring in double figures in 30 of 32 games. The various preseason publications, meanwhile, picked the Panthers for anywhere between second and fifth in the Horizon League for the upcoming season.

* Clear Channel On Your Dial

UWM and Clear Channel Broadcasting have signed a three-year agreement to place all Panther games on 920AM, WOKY, with a 15-minute pregame show and 15-minute postgame show. Bill Johnson returns for his fifth season as the voice of the Panthers. "Bruce Pearl On Basketball," the head coach's one-hour radio show, also airs on WOKY from 7-8 p.m. Monday nights.

* Signing On The Dotted Line

Indianapolis prep standout Anthony Passley and junior college transfer Derrick Ford have signed National Letters of Intent to play basketball at UWM. Passley, of North Central High School, averaged 14.5 ppg and 9.0 rpg as a junior at North Central. Ford was a Top 20 player in the state of Ohio as a high school senior and is a Top 70 JUCO prospect. He is from Olney Central Community College in Illinois and is playing his second season there. UWM also has a pair of Division I transfers on its roster that will sitting out this season. Jason McCoy is a 6-foot-9 small forward from Rutgers while Derrick Wimmer is a 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Milwaukee who transferred home after a season at Chicago State.

* Up Next

UWM returns home Saturday to face Wright State. The game tips off at 1 p.m. at the U.S. Cellular Arena and will be televised on Fox Sports North, Fox Sports Chicago and Fox Sports Ohio.