Jan. 8, 2002

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MILWAUKEE -- The UWM women's basketball team (8-5, 2-0 Horizon) looks to continue its four-game winning streak as it travels to Ohio and Indiana for league matchups with Wright State and Butler. Milwaukee will face off with the Raiders on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. in Dayton, before traveling to Indianapolis for a 1:00 p.m. contest with the Bulldogs on Saturday. Both times are central standard time.

Milwaukee opened up its league schedule with a pair of wins at the Klotsche Center last week. On Thursday, the Panthers overpowered Loyola, 90-61, before putting out the Flames on Saturday, 67-62. With the victories, UWM grabbed a share of first place in the Horizon League standings and extended its home league winning streak to 18 games. The 2-0 league record also marks the third consecutive season the Panthers have won their first two league games.

SCOUTING THE RAIDERS

Wright State enters the weekend at 3-11 and with a 1-2 record in league play following the team's 72-53 win over Cleveland State on Monday. The Raiders opened up the league season in early December with a 60-59 loss to UIC on Dec. 3, then fell at Detroit this past Saturday, 60-49. The Raiders used runs of 15-3 and 22-2 to coast to victory over the high-scoring Vikings. CSU was held to a season-low 26 percent shooting.

Tiffany Webb leads the Raiders with 14.4 ppg and 3.1 steals per contest... Robyn Swain leads the Raiders in the middle with 6.9 rpg and 1.6 bpg... Wright State is averaging 61.5, while surrendering 79.4 points per contest for a point margin of -17.9... The Panthers have won the last six meetings between the two teams to even the series record at eight wins apiece... Last season, UWM swept the three matchups, with the third coming in the league tournament... In that game, the Raiders set a league tournament and UWM opponent record by shooting 22.9 percent from the field for the game.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS

The Bulldogs enter the weekend with a 1-13 record, and are 0-3 in Horizon League play. On Thursday, Butler was silenced at Detroit, 86-68, and dropped a heartbreaker at Youngstown St. on Saturday, 75-67. In their loss to Detroit, the Bulldogs were outrebounded 53-28 while both teams combined to go 6-for-36 from beyond the arc. Against YSU, Butler outrebounded the Penguins, 45-35, but turned the ball over 24 times in the loss.

The Bulldogs are led in scoring by sophomore Sarah Bolten, who is averaging 12.1 points per game, and leads the team with 7.6 rebounds per game, as well... Butler averages 63.4 ppg, while giving up 84.8, for a scoring margin of -21.4... Butler holds the series edge, 9-6, though the Panthers have won the last three meetings... In the last meeting, UWM pulled out a 67-62 win behind Maria Viall's fourth double-double of the season (25p, 10r).

INSIDE UWM'S GAME AGAINST UIC

Maria Viall scored a game-high 17 points, and contributed 12 rebounds for her third double-double of the season, to lead the Panthers to a 67-62 win over UIC on Saturday.

Tied at 14 a piece in the first half, Viall jumpstarted a 14-0 run with two points at the foul line. The run continued when Tamm cut to the basket and scored a layup on the inbound pass from Allison Klass. Viall then scored on a three-point play, followed by Kaufmann's buried three pointer. After Viall made a turnaround jumper, reserve Christine Guiterrez drove to the basket for two more points and game UWM the 28-14 lead. UIC's LeKesha Williams sank a three pointer to stop UWM's streak with five minutes to go in the half.

Trailing by as many as 17 points in the second half, UIC made a run and pulled within three when Stesha Rhodes hit a jumper with 12 seconds remaining. UWM's Jessica Wilhite converted a pair of free throws down the stretch to regain the five-point lead with seconds remaining.

From the start, the Panthers were able to control the athletic Flames, who were quick in transition and in penetrating to the basket. UIC shot just 36 percent in the first half to contribute to its 13-point deficit at halftime. But better shooting and a 15-7 run helped UIC close the gap in the second half. The Flames managed to cut UWM's lead to five points several times in the half, and came within three a few times down the stretch. Each time UIC made it a three-point game, Milwaukee converted at the line to put its lead back up to five.

MUST-SEE TV

The premiere of the Sandy Botham Show, featuring UWM's own 2001 MCC Coach of the Year, is set for this Thursday, Jan. 10, at 6:30 p.m. on Channel 41. Botham can be seen on Thursday night's lineup every week throughout the season. CBS 58 sports anchor Rock Rote hosts the show.

VIALL NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK

For her performances in the opening weekend of league play, Maria Viall was named the Horizon League Player of the Week on Monday. She is off to a torrid pace, averaging 19.5 points and 11 rebounds a game in league games.

CAREER DAYS FOR VIALL

Maria Viall scored 30 points against Saint Mary's, Dec. 28th, to eclipse her previous career-high of 25 gained twice last season. Viall was a remarkable 14-of-18 from the field and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to record her first double-double of the season. Viall followed up that game with a 13-point, eight-rebound performance at Chicago State, and a pair of double-doubles in league matches against Loyola (22p, 10r) and UIC (17p, 12r). Viall now has seven career double-doubles, tops among all active Panthers.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE FACTS FACTS

With seven career double-doubles, Maria Viall has moved into a tie with Trina Rathke for fifth place on the school's career double-double list. The school record is 22 career double-doubles by Erica Young. Viall is also just the second player in UWM's Div. I history to post a double-double in back-to-back games twice in a career, having done so once this season and once last season. Young is the only other player to do so, having accomplished the feat four times. Young also holds the record with five consecutive double-doubles.

CONSISTENT IN APPEARANCE

When Stefanie Kaufmann took the floor at home against UIC, it was the 98th consecutive game she has appeared in. In her fourth year, Kaufmann has played in all 98 team games, while starting 26 times. The record for most games in a career, without missing one, since UWM moved to Div. I is 108 by Trina Rathke (1995-98) and Apryl Rodman (1994-98). Both Rathke and Rodman played all 108 team games in their careers. If Kaufmann stays healthy, she will eclipse the mark Feb. 7 at Wright State. Junior Jessica Wilhite (71), sophomore Maria Viall (43) and freshman Malika Willoughby (13) are the only other players on pace for the same feat.

STEALING HOME

With victories over Loyola and UIC this past weekend, UWM extended its home league winning streak to 18 games. The Panthers haven't fallen to a league team at the Klotsche Center since UW-Green Bay upended Milwaukee, 73-54, on Feb. 20, 1999.

MARIA MARIA

It may appear as though center Maria Viall has been hot as of late, but really she's been doing it all season. With her 17 points on Saturday, Viall pushed her consecutive games with double-digit scoring streak to 12 games. The mark is a career-best, and tops among all active players. The record, however, is 21 games set by Pam Bartnik during the 1993-94 season.

STARTING SPOT

Freshman guard Malika Willoughby made her first start with the regular rotation in the game against Saint Mary's and has started each game since. She replaced senior guard Allison Klaas, who now gives the Panthers experience off the bench. With Willoughby in the starting five, the Panthers have rattled off four straight wins, and hold a 5-0 record overall when she starts.

CAREER LEADERBOARD

With nine points against UIC on Saturday, junior guard Jessica Wilhite moved into 17th place on the school's career scoring list. Wilhite moved past former Panthers Polly Hagg and Erica Young in the opening minutes of UWM's win over the Flames. With 941 career points, Wilhite is just 59 points shy of becoming the 12th Panther to join the school's 1,000 point club.

ALSO ON THE BOARD

Also making news with career leaderboards is sophomore center Maria Viall. Viall has 22 blocks this season, giving her 54 career blocks to move into sole possession of eighth place in the records book. With 22 blocks through 13 games, Viall is looking to make a run at UWM's Division I school record of 47 blocks in a single season. The current mark is held by Erica Young during the 1993-94 season. The all-time career leader in blocks is Carrie Nonof with 136 blocks. Viall registered 32 blocks last season and ranks third in individual season records for blocks.

POLE POSITION

Following the Wisconsin game on Dec. 11, sophomore center Maria Viall became the team's leading scorer. Viall becomes the first Panther player, other than Jessica Wilhite to have the team lead in scoring since 2000. Corrin Von Wald ended the 1999-00 season with 11.9 ppg, tops on the team. Viall now averages 15.9 points per game, while Wilhite is second with 14.2 ppg.

WILHITE FOR THREE

The game against Wisconsin was the only game this season Jessica Wilhite did not connect from behind the arc. She scored four points but was 0-of-3 from three-point range. Prior to that game, she had made at least one three-pointer in each of UWM's first eight games this season. Wilhite opened the 2000-01 season with multiple threes in the first 15 games, and kept on pace with at least one made in 20 straight games. As a freshman during the 1999-2000 season, Wilhite made it seven games before failing to hit a three. In her career, Wilhite has played in just eight games without making a three point shot.

SINGLE DIGITS

2001-02 Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year Jessica Wilhite has been a marked target this season. Opponents have added great defensive pressure to tie her up and force the ball elsewhere. The Panthers' go-to player exploded in the beginning of the season, averaging 20 points through the first four games. But after a three-game stretch of scoring single digits, including a season-low three points against Valparaiso, Wilhite now averages 14.2 ppg. She exploded against Loyola last Thursday, going off for a school-record 24 first-half points, en route to a 28-point outing.

ROAD WARRIORS

Milwaukee's 71-50 win at Chicago State on Dec. 31 marked the fourth road win of the season for the Panthers. With a 4-2 mark on the road, the 2001-02 squad set a school Div. I record with the fewest games to reach four road wins. The previous record was seven, when the 1997-98 team started the road season 4-3. Last season, the team didn't record its fourth road win until their 12 opportunity.

100 AND COUNTING

With UWM's win over Northern Illinois in the season opener on Nov. 16, coach Sandy Botham collected her 100th career win as a head coach. Botham started her career with Beloit College and collected 22 wins in her lone season there. Since coming to Milwaukee prior to the 1996-97 season, Botham has collected 85 wins, giving her 107 for her career.

CARING FOR THE BALL

UWM committed just 10 turnovers against Saint Mary's on Dec. 28th. Against No. 3 Vandy, the Panthers kept care of the ball by recording 16 assists and turning over the ball a season-low nine times. Holly Tamm led UWM with a game-high six assists in that game. Through 13 games, she leads the squad with 55 assists and boasts a team-best assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.3. Point guard Allison Klaas (1.4) is the only other Panther who has a ratio above one. As a team, UWM averages 14 assists and 17 turnovers through 13 games. The Panthers have forced an average of 19.4 turnovers per contest, for a turnover margin of +2.4.

FREE-THROW SHOOTING

In the two outings prior to Bowling Green, UWM had only reached the foul line a combined 16 times. After going 4-for-7 at Valpo and 8-for-9 against Vandy, the Panthers saw their free throw production increase. Against the Falcons, Milwaukee saw the charity stripe 28 times, converting 19 times. UWM started the season with cold free-throw shooting in the first few games, but finally heated up at the line in their game against Marquette when they made 21-of-25 attempts. The Panthers fell back against Saint Mary's when they converted just 55 percent on 11-of-20 attempts. Through 13 games, the Panthers are shooting 72.5 percent from the free throw line, while opponents are converting 69.7 percent of their attempts. Allison Klaas has made 6-of-7 attempts for a 85.7 percent mark to lead the team, while Jessica Wilhite is second on the team with 82.6 percent accuracy on 38-of-46 free throws. Maria Viall has made it to the line the most, connecting on 45-of-61 shots.

BENCH MARK

Against Valparaiso, UWM coach Sandy Botham used an eight-player rotation--the first time four other players didn't see time off the bench since January of 2000. Jan. 4, 2000 was the last time the Panthers didn't use at least 10 players in a game. The only other time Botham has ever used only eight players was Dec. 21, 1996, her eighth game at UWM. In that game, seven players saw 20-plus minutes, while one player only played one minute. The Panthers lost at Dayton, 79-70, in that game.

MIND FOR CHARITY

UWM made a living at the foul line last year. The Panthers connected on 493 free throws during the season, almost as many as their opponents attempted (526). UWM tied the team record for free throws made in a season. Milwaukee attempted at least 20 free throws in its final 15 games of the season, and only once shot fewer than 10 free throws during the entire year.

BEYOND THE ARC

UWM currently has 71 three-pointers made on the season, 13 more than its opponents. However, the Panthers have attempted the three 227 times, compared to their opponents' 172. Milwaukee averages a 31.3 3-pt FG percentage this season compared to a 37.4 percent in 2000-01. UWM showed it could knock down the outside shot last year by setting a season record with 179 treys. That surpassed the record of 168 set during the previous season. In four games last year, the Panthers hit double figures in three-point shots, including 10 in their MCC tournament win over UWGB and 12 in their regular-season loss to the Phoenix. UWM made a three-point shot in every game it played on the 2000-01 season.

SEASON'S GREETINGS

This season's 3-1 start was UWM's best start since the 1988-89 season. That year, the Panthers started 5-0 and finished 19-10.

OVERTIME REVISITED

The game against Marquette saw the Panthers play their first overtime game since the 1999-00 season. Last year, UWM did not see any overtime action. It was the first time the Panthers have gone through the season without an overtime contest since the 1997-98 campaign. During the 1999-00 season, UWM played in five overtime games.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Jessica Wilhite and Maria Viall were named to the Gran Tree Classic All-Tournament team on Nov. 25-26 at Montana State.