Jan. 18, 2000

MILWAUKEE- The UWM women’s basketball team will look to build momentum in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference season when state rival UW-Green Bay comes to town on Saturday, Jan. 22.

The two teams were picked to finish in a tie for second place in the MCC’s preseason poll. UWGB is currently 8-6 on the season and undefeated in a pair of conference games. The Panthers are 6-7, 1-1 in league play.

Valparaiso also comes to the Klotsche Center this week. UWM plays host to the Crusaders on Wednesday, Jan. 19. The Crusaders are 9-6 on the season, 4-1 in the Mid-Continent Conference.

The Panthers began their league play last week and posted a split in two road games. UWM defeated Cleveland State, 70-69, but fell at Detroit, 71-68.

At Cleveland State on Thursday, Jan. 13, the Panthers held an eight-point halftime lead, 28-20, and hit their first five three-pointers of the second half to take a 49-32 lead with 13:30 remaining.

But the Vikings rallied with an 11-2 run to cut the deficit to nine points, 51-43, with 9:13 remaining. The game remained close when Cleveland State’s Mahogany Green hit a jumper with eight seconds left to cut UWM’s lead to two, 70-68. Green then stole the inbounds pass and was fouled with a second left in the game. She hit her first free throw but missed the second.

Three Panthers scored in double figures in the game, led by freshman guard Jessica Wilhite’s (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West) 15 points. Junior center Janelle Jonason (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Park Center) added 12 and senior guard Daryl Schaffeld (Palatine, Ill./Fremd) scored 11 for UWM.

At Detroit, the team picked to win the MCC, the Titans battled back from a 10-point deficit in the second half to pull off the win, 71-68. Detroit’s first lead of the second half came with 1:33 left in the game, 68-66, and they didn’t look back.

Senior center Kelly Lubbers (Chanhassen, Minn./Chaska) led the UWM attack with 16 points. Other scorers in double figures were Wilhite (12 points) and Schaffeld (11), who also led the team with six rebounds.