Feb. 13, 2004

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Game #24

UWM (17-6, 12-1 Horizon)

at

Youngstown State (7-15, 3-9 Horizon)

Saturday, Feb. 14 * 1 p.m. CST

Beeghly Center * Youngstown, Ohio

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

Milwaukee TV: None

Internet: Live audio at uwmpanthers.com

Tickets: Available at the Beeghly Center box office on the day of the game.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee makes its annual trip to Youngstown, Ohio, for a battle with Youngstown State. The game tips off at 1 p.m. CST.

* Last Time Out

Loyola battled with the first-place Panthers for more than 30 minutes Thursday night at the U.S. Cellular Arena before UWM was finally able to pull away for a 77-71 win over the Ramblers. Loyola led, 49-45, with just over 13 minutes to play but UWM responded with a 23-8 run to regain command of the contest. Dylan Page led all scorers with 26 points.

* Looking For A Title

With three Horizon League games to play, the Panthers stand in solid position atop the standings. UW-Green Bay sits two-and-a-half games back while Wright State is now three games back after losing to Detroit Wednesday. UWM can clinch a share of the Horizon League title - and eliminate Wright State and UIC from title contention - with a win Saturday. In order to win the outright title Saturday, UWM would need to win and have UW-Green Bay lose at home to Loyola.

* Championship History

UWM is closing in what would be its first-ever regular season Horizon League championship. The Panthers have never won a Division I league crown in the regular season and haven't won a regular season league championship of any sort since going a perfect 8-0 in the Wisconsin State Teachers College Conference during the 1940-41 season. UWM has been close to breaking through in each of the last two seasons. In 2001-02, the Panthers were in first place after 13 games before losing two of three on the road. Then last year, UWM dropped a buzzer-beating heartbreaker on the final day of the regular season to Butler, giving the Bulldogs the crown.

* Who Has And Hasn't Won

If UWM should win the Horizon League title, it would eliminate its name from the list of current league schools who have not won a regular season league title in either the Horizon League or the MCC. Youngstown State, which joined the league just two years ago, joins Cleveland State and Wright State as the only league schools to not win a regular season crown.

* Just Like Our Other Sports

The UWM men are trying to become the fourth Panther squad to win a Horizon League regular season title this season. The UWM volleyball team, men's soccer team and women's soccer team won titles this fall. The UWM women's basketball team also stands within a game of first place.

* Staying Hot

UWM's win Thursday over Loyola was its 11th in its last 12 outings, by far the best stretch of the season for the Panthers. UWM had its nine-game winning streak snapped Feb. 5 at UIC. The streak was 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 still 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.

* Back On The Road

After two-straight home games, UWM is back on the road for two contests, playing at Butler after Saturday's game at Youngstown State. The Panthers are actually finishing the season with four home games in their final six contests, a stark contrast to the first three months of the season in which UWM played 13 of its 21 games away from home.

* Victories On The Road

UWM's time on the road has been well-spent as the Panthers have experienced plenty of success. The Panthers' overall road mark is now 7-5 and UWM is 5-1 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 20-19 in true road contests, including 15-7 in league play, and 5-3 in neutral floor contests. In the seven years prior to Pearl's arrival, the Panthers were just 13-71 on the road and never won more than three games in a season.

* 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 15-7 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 five this year.

* Liking It At Home, Too

UWM has established a tremendous homecourt advantage in recent years, posting a 51-10 mark over the past four-plus seasons. That record includes a current stretch of wins in 24 of its last 25 home games and wins in 17-straight regular season home league games. UWM is 23-2 in regular season league home games under Bruce Pearl.

* Seeking 20 Again

Three more wins would give UWM its first back-to-back 20-win seasons since the early 1990's. It would also be just the sixth 20-win season in school history. Last year, UWM tied the all-time school record with 24 wins, equaling a mark set when the Panthers went to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in 1989. UWM also won 23 games in the 1992-93 campaign, 20 games in the 1991-92 season and 20 games in the 1981-82 season.

* Winning On The Horizon

The Panthers have found plenty of success in league play over the past two-plus seasons, already adding 12 wins this year to the 13 wins last year and the 11 wins in the league the year before. Bruce Pearl has a 36-9 record in regular-season Horizon League contests in his two-plus years at UWM.

* Impressive Numbers

UWM head coach Bruce Pearl has moved to the top of the charts among Horizon League coaches. His 36-9 record in league games computes to a .800 winning percentage, easily the best among active coaches and a number that would put him at the top of all-time league coaches with at least three years in the league at season's end. 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 Thursday's win, Pearl has moved into the top-10 all-time in league wins, a list headed by Detroit's Perry Watson, who has 100 league wins in 10-plus years.

* Starting The League Strong

UWM's 10-0 start in the Horizon League was the best in school history. UWM's best start previously was a 3-0 beginning to last season. The Panthers are now seeking to surpass the school record of 13 league wins, set last year.

* Keeping An Eye On Others

As the Panthers have started to roll through their 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 76-25 record. Plus, in the latest AP poll, Wisconsin is ranked 17th, North Carolina State 21st, Southern Illinois 23rd and Air Force 28th. It is likely that at least four of UWM's five non-league losses will have come to NCAA Tournament teams.

* Ranking Rumbles

UWM has started to climb the ranks in the various mid-major rankings thanks to its recent 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 10th spot. UWM is also 11th in the CollegeInsider.com poll. For the second week in a row, UWM is also garnering votes in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Coaches' Poll, holding down the 39th spot with two votes. The Panthers have also seen their power ranking rise, hitting 48th in the RPI and 53rd in the Jeff Sagarin ratings.

* Dylan Does It Again

Despite a heavily-wrapped left leg, Dylan Page was at it again Thursday night. The senior scored a game-high 26 points while equaling a season-high with four three-point baskets. Page has loved playing against Loyola this season, averaging 30.5 ppg in his two games against the Ramblers. He also scored 32 points against Loyola in Milwaukee last season.

* More From The Pages Of Dylan

After leading the way with 26 points Thursday, Dylan Page has now held or shared game-high scoring honors 16 times this season. He has been in double figures in scoring in all 23 games this season and in 56 of his last 58 contests while scoring 20 or more points 14 times this season. He has been named the Horizon League Player of the Week twice and leads the league in scoring while standing fifth in rebounding. He is also 21st nationally in scoring. Plus, Page has three double-doubles this season and five for his career.

* Passing 1,000

Dylan Page continues to climb up the scoring charts at UWM, with his career total now standing at 1,221 points. His 23 points Jan. 8 against Butler sent him past the 1,000 mark for 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.

* Where The Injury Came From

Dylan Page sprained his left ankle at the end of UWM's game at UIC Feb. 5. He played with his left leg heavily wrapped some 40 hours later, scoring 10 points as the Panthers beat Wright State to hang on to first place in the Horizon League. Page, who still has not participated in a full-contact practice since the injury, then scored 26 points and had seven rebounds against Loyola Thursday.

* Looking Outside

With Dylan Page's inside game limited by his bad ankle, the Panthers are finding themselves looking outside for their offense. UWM attempted a season-high 27 three-point shots Saturday and then took 22 more Thursday. UWM has knocked in nine 3's in each of the last two games. On the season, the Panthers average 18 attempts per game and knock down almost 38 percent of their shots from beyond the arc.

* Providing Assistance

UWM recorded 23 assists on its 28 field goals Thursday night, equaling a season high. Center Adrian Tigert, who leads the team in assists, joined guard Kalombo Kadima with five assists apiece to lead the way.

* 20-20 Vision

When Dylan Page scored 26 points and Ed McCants added 21 Thursday, it marked the seventh 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.

* Newcomer Of The Year?

Junior Ed McCants continues to make an immediate impact on the Panther rotation this season, tossing in 21 points Thursday night. The Paris JC transfer stands second on the team in scoring at 17.5 ppg, has scored 20 or more points 10 times and has been in double figures in all but two games this season. He is the leading candidate for Horizon League Newcomer of the Year.

* Inside Help

UWM got a nice boost from a pair of inside players Thursday night in the win over Loyola. Senior Nate Mielke and junior Rob Sanders combined for 11 points, making 3-of-4 from the field and 4-of-4 from the foul line.

* Getting It Done On 'D'

UWM posted another strong outing defensively Thursday night, limiting Loyola to just 43.1 percent shooting for the game, including 38.2 in the second half. Since 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 eight contests since. Throw out the 61.2 percent shooting by the Penguins four weeks ago and UWM has turned the defense up a notch in league play. In the other 12 games, UWM has allowed opponents to shoot just 40 percent from the field and has held Green Bay, Butler, Cleveland State and Wright State (twice) under 40 percent.

* Block Party

Seniors Dylan Page and Nate Mielke have become a shot-blocking presence for the Panthers, with Page blocking two shots and Mielke one on Thursday. Last Saturday against Wright State, Mielke blocked a season-high four shots. Page leads the team with 27 blocks but Mielke is right behind with 25. Mielke has 73 career blocks - the third-most by a Panther since 1992. Page has 64 career blocks, fourth on UWM's all-time Division I list. Craig Greene is the all-time leader with 87.

* Stolen Moments

UWM collected nine steals Thursday night in the win over Loyola, coming just shy of getting into double figures in steals. The last time it happened was Jan. 15 against Youngstown State. In that game, UWM collected a season-high 14 steals while forcing a season-high 24 turnovers. UWM's pressure defense has become well-known for collecting steals and forcing turnovers. Under Bruce Pearl, UWM has collected at least 10 steals 27 times and the Panthers have forced their opponents into more than 30 turnovers three times.

* National Numbers

UWM shows up in the latest NCAA statistical rankings, with the Panthers standing 11th nationally in field goal percentage and 26th in scoring. Individually, Dylan Page ranks 21st in scoring while Ed McCants is 17th in three-point field goals per game and 23rd in three-point field goal percentage.

* Keeping The Ball

Turnovers can often be a part of UWM's up-tempo offense and the Panthers average over 15 per game. But UWM tied a Division I school-record Saturday by turning the ball over just five times in its win over Wright State. The Panthers have turned the ball over just five times on three other occasions since returning to the Division I ranks in 1990 - the most recent coming Feb. 24, 1994, against UW-Green Bay. Prior to Saturday, the fewest turnovers in a game for UWM under Bruce Pearl was seven at Wisconsin in the season opener last year.

* Double Trouble

Sophomore Joah Tucker has had a knack for stepping up in big games and the Milwaukee native was at it again last Saturday against Wright State. Tucker led the way with 17 points and added 12 rebounds, recording the first double-double of his career.

* More Double Trouble

Sophomore Adrian Tigert recorded his second double-double of the season against UIC Feb. 5, collecting 14 rebounds to go with his 13 points. The 14 rebounds were also a career high. Tigert also had a double-double at NC State.

* Solid Shooting Overall

UWM shot 47.5 percent Thursday in its win over Loyola and is still shooting a solid 49.3 percent for the season, a number that ranks 11th nationally. UWM has shot 50 percent or better 12 times this season and 28 times in the two-plus seasons under Bruce Pearl. Two of the best outings this year 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.

* Busting The Bracket

UWM learned last week 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 18-4 overall this season.

* Past Players Of The Week

Along with two-time honoree Dylan Page, Joah Tucker and Kalombo Kadima have each been honored as the Horizon League Player of the Week this season. Tucker was honored after opening his UWM career with a 22-point outing against Montana. Kadima was honored after scoring a career-high 22 points to help the Panthers beat UW-Green Bay.

* The Point Is ...

UWM's two-headed point guard of Kalombo Kadima and Chris Hill is continuing its stellar play. Since Kadima took over for Hill in the starting lineup prior to the game with Butler Jan. 8, both have flourished. The two are averaging 14.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 6.8 apg in the nine-game stretch. The two are playing about 48 minutes per game combined, with Kadima playing the off-guars position when both are on the floor together.

* Packin' Them In

The crowd of 8,703 Jan. 31 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 nearly 3,900 fans per game - up over 600 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.

* Dynamic Duo

Dylan Page and Ed McCants continue to rank among the top scoring duos in the nation. The two combine to average 38.4 ppg, making them the eighth-best pair in the nation. 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.

* Playing Well On The Lead

The win on Thursday over Loyola moved UWM to 16-1 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.

* 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 third, Page fifth and McCants seventh 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, field goal percentage and assists.

* 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 travels to Indianapolis for a Wednesday contest with Butler. The game tips off at 6 p.m. CST.