Feb. 4, 2002

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MILWAUKEE -- The UWM women's basketball team (15-6, 9-1 Horizon) travels to Chicago tonight to take on the third-place Loyola Ramblers (12-8, 6-3 Horizon) at 4:45 p.m. The Panthers remain in second place of the Horizon League after picking up another home victory on Saturday.

The Panthers smothered Youngstown State, 100-46, in a record-breaking game. UWM buried 14 three pointers to reset the school record, while their 54-point margin of victory also broke another school record.

The Ramblers were defeated by league-leader Green Bay, 72-53, on Wednesday night. The Phoenix snapped Loyola's six-game winning streak.

UWM already beat the Ramblers this season by 29 points at home. Jessica Wilhite scored a season-high 28 points and Maria Viall had a double-double (22 points, 10 rebounds) to help Milwaukee record the 90-61 win. The Panthers swept Loyola in three games last year, including a semifinal win in the tournament, and currently own the 15-7 all-time series record.

SCOUTING THE RAMBLERS Maggie Toczlowski led Loyola with 11 points and eight rebounds in the loss to Green Bay. The Ramblers shots just 33.3 percent and made only 4-of-20 three pointers, while allowing Green Bay to shoot 54 percent from the floor. LU recorded 17 turnovers and 11 assists, but outrebounded UWGB, 35-31, on the boards.

Tracy Hoffmann, a second team all-league preseason selection, leads the squad with 10.9 points per game. Lauren Sirus, another preseason second-team selection, is second in scoring with 9.7 ppg, while Toczlowski is third with 9.0 ppg and leads the team on the boards with 6.9 rpg.

INSIDE UWM'S WIN OVER YOUNGSTOWN STATE After missing some early shots, UWM ran away with 17-consecutive points off of sharp shooting from the arc. The Panthers connected on 5-of-6 three pointers in a three-minute span, and finished with 10-of-18 treys to bolster a 50-17 lead at halftime.

Milwaukee's starters came out just as impressive in the second half, scoring on a 19-5 run following a Holly Tamm three pointer at the 14:38 mark to lead, 69-22. A few minutes later, UWM's reserves came in to finish the game with the largest margin of victory, beating the previous record of 47 points from the 1990-91 season.

UWM finished with 53 percent shooting from the field, including 58 percent from three-point range on 14-of-24 shots. The 14 treys also tied a Horizon League record and also beat UWM's record of 13 set last season.

Tamm led UWM with 15 points and five assists in 19 minutes, while Malika Willoughby tied a career high with 13 points in just 16 minutes of action. Angela Wenzel added 11 off the bench for UWM.

UWM stayed consistent in the second half by scoring another 50 points, and finished strong on the boards to record the 47-20 advantage over the Penguins. The Panthers had been outrebounded the past two games, including the game against Green Bay which UWM lost in overtime after leading most of regulation.

FOURTEEN-TREY FIESTA UWM nailed 14 three pointers against Youngstown State to break the Division I school record for most treys in a game. The Panthers connected on 14-of-24, also recording a season-high 58.3 percent accuracy from beyond the arc. The previous record for team three pointers came when UWM tallied 13 against Chicago State on Jan. 25, 2000.

MARGIN OF VICTORY UWM's 54-point margin of victory over Youngstown State on Feb. 2 broke the Division I school record. The previous record was a 47 points, recorded on Jan. 22, 1991 in a 104-57 win over Northeastern Illinois at home. The win still holds the school record of most points scored by UWM, though the Panthers came close to that record this season with a 102-71 win over Detroit.

ONE HUNDRED AND COUNTING The Panthers have scored at least 100 points on two occasions this season, the first time in the program's history that they have done so more than once in a season. UWM defeated Youngstown State, 100-46, on Feb. 2 and beat Detroit, 102-71, on Jan. 19. UWM has recorded 100-point games two other times in its division I history, but have done it in separate seasons. The Panthers beat Cleveland State, 101-99, in the 1995-96 season and recorded a 104-57 victory over Northeastern Illinois in the 1990-91 season.

BACK ON THE BOARDS After two consecutive games of losing the battle of the boards, UWM dominated Youngstown State with the 47-20 advantage. The margin of 27 rebounds comes as the third highest in Division I school history, with the record margin of rebounds standing at 29. The Panthers were previously outrebounded by Green Bay (40-37) and then by UIC (37-35), which broke UWM's streak of eight straight games that it had not been beated on the boards.

PERFECT PLAY Reserve Angela Wenzel came off the bench in the game against Youngstown State to score 11 points for UWM. Her contribution came off of 4-of-4 field goals, including 3-of-3 treys, in 16 minutes of play.

1,000-POINT CLUB With 17 points against Green Bay, junior guard Jessica Wilhite became the 12th player in school history to record 1,000 career points. She currently has 1,029 career points and ranks 10th on the all-time career scoring list. Wilhite was also just the fourth player to reach 1,000 points in the school's Division I history. The last player to reach 1,000 points was Daryl Schaffeld (1996-00), who ended her career with 1,310 points. If Wilhite keeps on pace, she would be ranked eighth entering the league tournament on the all-time career leaderboard.

STEALING HOME With the last victory at home over Youngstown State, UWM extended its home league winning streak to 22 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.

HANDCUFFED For the first time this season, Holly Tamm did not dish out any assists in the game against UIC. She recorded two turnovers, but chipped in 10 points and two steals. She now averages 4.38 assists per game, good for fourth in the league. Freshman Malika Willoughby did the dishin' for Tamm instead, recording a career-high six assists to pace the game.

DON'T TURN OVER A NEW LEAF Against UIC, UWM recorded 20 turnovers and 19 assists--the first time in four games it has made more turnovers than assists. That comes as the 10th time this season overall. The Panthers quickly changed that in their next game against Youngstown State, thought they recorded just one more assist than turnover (23 assists, 22 turnovers.)

DOUBLE VISION Maria Viall grabbed her eighth career double-double against Green Bay on Jan. 26. She scored 20 points and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. Her others this season have come against Saint Mary's (30 points, 12 rebounds) and in back-to-back league game with Loyola (22 points, 10 rebounds) and UIC (17 points, 12 rebounds).

DOUBLE-DOUBLE FACTS FACTS With eight career double-doubles, sophomore Maria Viall has moved into a tie with Apryl Rodman for fourth 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.

FREE THROW WOES The Panthers made just 4-of-11 free throws against Green Bay to record a season-low 36.4 percent at the line. That percentage also ranks as the second-lowest in school Division I history, with the lowest coming in at 35.3 in 1995. UWM's game against the Phoenix tied a season record for fewest free throws, with the other coming on a 4-of-7 performance at Valparaiso. The game against the Phoenix also came as just the fourth time this year UWM has recorded single digits at the line.

YEAH, BUT CAN THEY PLAY DEFENSE? For the second game in a row, the Panthers did some editing in their record book. On Jan. 19 against Detroit, it was the Milwaukee offense that stole the show with a 102-71 victory. On Jan. 23, it was the patented UWM defense that put on a clinic. Butler's 39 points and 12 field goals made stand as the second-lowest among opponents in school history. The Panthers also held the Bulldogs to just 24 percent shooting on 12-of-50 shots, including 4-of-25 in the second half. The shooting percentage ranks third lowest among Milwaukee opponents.

GIANT VICTORY The 102 points UWM scored against Detroit came as the second highest total in school history. It also came as the first time since 1996 that the Panthers scored over 100 points. On Feb. 17, 1996, UWM beat Cleveland State in overtime, 101-99. The school record for most points scored is 104, which UWM recorded in a 104-57 win on Jan. 22, 1991 against Northeastern Illinois.

HALF A RECORD The win over Detroit did allow UWM to reset the school record for most points in a half. The Panthers poured in 59 points in the second half, beating the previous record of 55 points scored in a half against St. Francis in the 1990-91 season.

MARGIN OF VICTORY The Panthers' 54-point league victory against Youngstown State at home mark the seventh time this season the Panthers have won by 20 or more points, setting a new school mark. Milwaukee has posted five of those wins in league play, and have outscored league opponents by 21.4 points per game.

STREAKS A' PLENTY After starting the season 4-5, Milwaukee rattled off nine-straight wins to tie the school record. The Panthers' streak ended Jan. 26 after their loss to Green Bay, but the nine-game ride came for the second year in a row. UWM broke the previous record of eight-straight wins last season, with the ninth win coming in the MCC Championship game against UW-Green Bay. Duke ended that streak by handing the Panthers a 96-63 loss in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

LEAGUE STREAK ENDED Though UWM hasn't been beaten by a league foe at home through 21 consecutive games played at the Klotsche Center, the Panthers saw their 16-game win streak against league teams end this past weekend. Green Bay handed UWM its first league loss since Feb.8, 2001, when the Panthers lost. UWM won its first seven games in the league this season after finishing last season having won the last nine meetings against league opponents. The Panthers were on a six-game winning streak entering the MCC Tournament last year and then swept all three opponents to claim the championship.

HELPING HAND Senior guard Holly Tamm currently has 92 assists on the season, averaging 4.38 per game for fourth among league leaders. She has recorded more than four assists in nine games, and has recorded fewer than three assists just four times. If she keeps dishing out assists at her current pace, she will eclipse the 100-assist mark and rank among the school's top ten in season assist leaders. The last time a Panther averaged at least four assists per game was during the 1996-97 season.

ROAD WARRIORS UWM has won seven games on the road so far this season, resetting the Division I school record for most road wins in a season. The previous record was six wins on the road, which UWM accumulated in 2000-01, 1999-00 and 1997-98. UWM has four away games left on its schedule, with a potential of one more if they play host Loyola at the Horizon League Tournament.

UWM'S RPI Milwaukee is currently ranked 91st in the latest release of the RPI according to collegerpi.com. The latest ranking is the highest for UWM in the three-year history of the women's RPI. In 2000-01 Milwaukee was at 116, while the Panthers finished the 1999-00 season at 157. The Panthers are projected to finish the season 78th in the RPI, with a 20-7 record.

PANTHER DEFENSE UWM's tenacious defense forced 31 turnovers from Butler on Jan. 23, the highest amount an opponent has coughed up this season. UWM forced 30 turnovers at Wright State, as well as 26 against Cleveland State on Jan. 17. The Butler game on Jan. 23 marked the 11th time this season the Panthers have forced more than 20 turnovers. UWM forces an average of 21 turnovers per contest and ranks second in the league with a +3.71 turnover margin.

FRESHMEN LEADERS Point guard Malika Willoughby led the team in scoring against Wright State, registering 13 points. She shot 5-of-13 from the field, including 2-of-5 from the arc. That came as the second time this season a freshman has led the Panthers in scoring. Forward Christine Gutierrez led UWM with a team-high 14 points at Bowling Green on Dec. 8.

MUST-SEE TV The premiere of the Sandy Botham Show, featuring UWM's own 2001 MCC Coach of the Year, was shown Thurs., Jan. 10, on Channel 41. Botham can be seen at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday night throughout the rest of the season. CBS 58 sports reporter Trenni Kusnierek hosts the show.

CAREER DAY FOR VIALL Maria Viall scored 33 points against Butler to eclipse her previous career high of 30 against Saint Mary's on Dec. 28th. Against the Bulldogs, Viall made 13-of-19 from the field and 7-of-11 from the line.

VIALL NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK AGAIN Maria Viall was named the Horizon League Player of the Week on Jan. 14 for the second consecutive week. She was recognized by the league after pouring in a career-high 33 points to lead UWM past Butler in their first match-up this season. In the week prior, she helped UWM to a pair of league wins at home with two double-doubles, averaging 18.5 points and 11 rebounds in both contests. She is off to a torrid pace in league games, averaging 19.3 points and 7.1 rebounds through seven games.

CONSISTENT IN APPEARANCE When Stefanie Kaufmann took the floor home against YSU, it was the 105th consecutive game she has appeared in. In her fourth year, Kaufmann has played in all 105 team games, while starting 34 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 (79), sophomore Maria Viall (51) and freshman Malika Willoughby (21) are the only other players on pace for the same feat.

SCORING STREAK It may appear as though center Maria Viall has been hot as of late, but really she's been doing it all season. Viall had recorded 12 consecutive games with double-digit scoring, but that streak was cut short when she was held to six points against Wright State. That game came as just the second time this season Viall scored in single digits, with the first coming in the season opener. Her streak of 12 games marked 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 rattled off nine-straight wins, and hold a 12-1 record overall when she starts.

UP THE CHARTS Also making news with career leaderboards is sophomore center Maria Viall. Viall has 32 blocks this season, giving her 64 career blocks and sole possession of seventh place in the records book. She needs a total of 68 to tie Jaci Clark for sixth place, and 70 to tie Apryl Rodman for fifth place. With 31 blocks through 20 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 17 points per game, while Wilhite is second with 13.2 ppg. Viall ranks second in the Horizon League in scoring, while Wilhite ranks ninth.

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.

FIRST-HALF RINGER 2001-02 Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year Jessica Wilhite exploded against Loyola on Jan. 3, going off for a school-record 24 first-half points. She shot 8-of-12 in the first half, including 5-of-6 from beyond the arc, and was 3-of-5 at the line. She finished with a game-high 28 points.

FEWEST TO FOUR 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 86 wins, giving her 108 for her career.

CARING FOR THE BALL 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. Through 19 games, Holly Tamm leads the squad with 87 assists and boasts a league-best assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.56. As a team, UWM averages 16.3 assists and 17.4 turnovers. The Panthers have forced an average of 21 turnovers per contest for a turnover margin of +3.71.

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.

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.