Feb. 16, 2004

INDIANAPOLIS - 23 points and 18 rebounds one night. A game-winning shot two days later. Yeah, you can say University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball player Maria Viall had a pretty good week. In addition, the senior from Waukesha added to her already impressive week when she was named the Horizon League Player of the Week here Monday (Feb. 16). Viall won the award for the second time this season and for the sixth time in her career.

The Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year, Viall averaged 20 points, 13.5 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game while leading UWM to a pair of victories this past week. In a non-league game on Thursday the 6-3 center scored 23 points and grabbed a season-best 18 rebounds in leading the Panthers to an 87-67 win over IPFW. Viall came right back on Saturday and led Milwaukee with 17 points and nine rebounds, including a game-winning hook shot with 0.2 seconds left in a 52-51 win over then league-leading Cleveland State. Viall has scored 17.3 points per game during Milwaukee's current six-game winning streak.

On the year, No. 24 currently leads the Horizon League in scoring and rebounding with 17.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, respectively. Furthermore, Viall sits second in field goal percentage (52.5%), fourth in blocked shots (1.13), and seventh in free throw percentage (76.2%). With 17 points on Saturday, Viall now has 1,747 points in her career and needs just 84 more to become UWM's all-time scoring leader.

Viall and the Panthers will put their six-game winning streak on the line Thursday (Feb. 19) when they head to Chicago to face the University of Illinois-Chicago. The Horizon League contest is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. at the UIC Pavilion.