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Feb. 20, 2004

MILWAUKEE -

Chicago Road Trip: Part Two

The Chicago road show continues for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team. The Panthers, fresh off a 73-64 win over Illinois-Chicago in the Windy City on Thursday, will head back down Interstate 94 for their second straight Horizon League game versus a Chicago-based school. On Saturday, UWM will face Loyola University, in a 1:00 p.m. contest at the Joseph Gentile Center on the northshore campus. Milwaukee, which improved to 14-10 on the year and 10-3 in the league with the Thursday win, will ride a season-long seven game-winning streak into Saturday's game. The contest can be heard live on WMCS 1290-AM or by visiting the Official UWM Athletic Website, www.uwmpanthers.com.

Second-Half Surge Propels Panthers

While it certainly isn't recommended, spotting the opponent an 11-0 lead certainly didn't detour the UWM women's hoops team on Thursday. The Panthers defeated Illinois-Chicago 73-64 on Thursday, thanks in large part to a +16 rebound margin and a 14-2 run to begin the second half. The Flames started the game on fire, connecting on their first four shots and 10 of their first 13 en route to the early bulge. However, 14 points by Maria Viall and another 11 by Molly O'Brien kept Milwaukee within striking distance at the half before improved defense, domination on the glass, and 12 Nichole Drummond points helped the Panthers dominate the second half. Milwaukee shot 22 free throws in the second half while outrebounding the Flames 31-15 in the frame. Viall finished the game with her tenth double-double of the season with a game-high 23 points and 17 rebounds. Kiley Johnson added 14 points while Drummond, O'Brien, and Anne Witte added 12, 11 and 11, respectively. The Flames, who shot 51.6% in the first half, were held to just 20.0% marksmanship in the second half. UIC was paced offensively by LaShonda Grant's 18 points.

Scouting the Ramblers

One of the best outside shooting teams in the Horizon League, the Ramblers of Loyola University feature a high-powered offense and strength at the guard position. The Ramblers enter Saturday's game 10-14 overall and 5-8 in the Horizon League, good for seventh place in the standings but just one game out of fifth. A pair of guards lead LUC in scoring, as junior Meshkenet Lands averages 13.0 ppg and junior Ciara Henderson addes 12.3 markers per contest. The Ramblers have nailed 151 three-pointers on the year, tops in the Horizon League while connecting on 35.0% of their attempts from beyond the arc. Loyola's interior game suffered a bit of a blow earlier this month when senior center Maggie Toczylowski suffered a season-ending kee injury. The Ramblers are coached by fifth-year mentor Mary Helen Walker, who owns a 51-86 record at the Chicago-school.

And The Beat Goes On

What a difference three weeks can make. On January 27th the UWM women's hoops team had hit a crossroads. Not only had it just dropped a 20-point league game to rival UW-Green Bay, it also owned a season-worst 7-10 overall record and 4-3 mark in league play. But then, the light went on. Since the UWGB game Milwaukee has won seven consecutive games en route to a season-best 14-10 record and a 10-3 Horizon League mark. The six-game winning streak is not only the longest this season but the longest by a UWM team since the 2001-02 squad also won seven in a row from Jan. 31 through Feb. 21. The seven-game streak is tied for the longest active winning streak in the league as UWGB has also gone seven consecutive games without a defeat. The longest winning streak in school history is 11 games, set by the 1983-84 team and equalled again in 1984-85. However, the longest DI winning streak is nine games, accomplished by both the 2000-01 and 2001-02 teams.

Scoring Distribution

With each passing game, the UWM women's basketball team is becoming less and less a one-person show. Sure, Maria Viall still stands among the top players in the league, but increased production from the supporting cast has been a major factor in the Panthers' recent winning ways. Never before has this been more evident than Thursday night. Milwaukee had five players reach double figures in the scoring column versus UIC, marking the first time that has happened since a 76-61 win over Detroit on Feb. 6, 2003. Verus the Flames on Thursday, Viall led the way with 23 points while reserve Kiley Johnson added 14. The three UWM sophomores also all reached double-figures as Molly O'Brien scored 12 points with Anne Witte and Nichole Drummond adding 11 apiece.

Little Help From Some Friends

The UWM women's hoops squad was in a particularly unselfish mood on Thursday. In the game versus UIC, the Panthers notched an assist on 19 of the 22 field goals made in the game. That ratio is the highest by UWM since a 19-assist, 21-field goal showing versus San Francisco on Dec. 28, 2002. In the first half of Thursday's game, UWM earned an assist on each of its 12 made baskets. Furthermore, UWM registered 19 assists to just 17 turnovers on the game, marking just the second time this season it ended the game with a positive assist/TO ratio. Sophomore Nichole Drummond paced the Milwaukee attack with a career-high six assists.

Witte and Johnson Dial Long Distance

If you are looking for three-point scoring from the UWM starting lineup you probably wont find it. However, that doesn't mean the team is void of quality long-distance shooters. The duo of Anne Witte and Kiley Johnson have come off the bench as a major part of Sandy Botham's nine-player rotation and have established themselves as two of the better three-point shooters in the Horizon League. The two have combined for 60 of UWM's 109 three-pointers on the season, while connecting on a combined 37.7% from beyond the arc. Witte, who has been extremely hot of late, has hit 22-of-46 from downtown in the last 15 games and currently sits third in the league with 43.3% three-point marksmanship. Meanwhile Johnson, a freshman, leads the team with 34 triples, thirteen of which have come in the last nine games. The sophomore Witte has nailed at least one three-pointer in 14 of the last 15 games after starting the season just 4-for-14 in the first nine contests.

Tale Of Two Halves

Talk about a difference in 20 minutes. Versus UIC on Thursday, UWM struggled out of the gates, falling behind 11-0 before heading into the locker room trailing 41-36. The host Flames shot 51.6% in the first half while the teams grabbed 17 rebounds a piece. Furthermore, UWM's second-leading scorer, Nichole Drummond, was held scoreless in the first half. However the next 20 minutes told an entirely different story in almost every area. Most importantly, UWM outscored UIC 37-23 in the second half en route to the nine-point win. Drummond followed up her scorless half with 12 second half points while the Panther defense limited UIC to 20.0% shooting. And the most telling stat of the half: rebounding. UWM grabbed 31 rebounds to 15 for UIC, an impressive +16 showing.

Bigtime Showdown On The Horizon

In the, "don't put the cart before the horse" department, the UWM women's hoops team clearly needs to win Saturday to have any real shot of winning the 2003-04 Horizon League regular season title. However, with a Panther victory versus the Ramblers, a bigtime, first-place showdown will take place in Milwaukee on Monday (Feb. 23). While both teams still play on Saturday, Monday's game will feature longtime rival and current league leader UW-Green Bay and the second-place Panthers. UWGB (18-6 overall) sits atop the Horizon League with an 11-2 league mark mark while UWM sits one game back at 10-3. If UWM wins the rest of its games it can share its second regular season league title in the last four years.

Drummond Turns It Up

If there ever was a question as to who would emerge as UWM's No. 2 scoring threat it most definitely has been answered. And that player's name: Nichole Drummond. The 5-10 sophomore from Kenosha has turned into one of the tougher players to guard in the Horizon League. Drummond scored 12 points versus UIC on Thursday, giving her double-digit scoring games in five straight contests and five of the last six. Beginning with the game versus Marquette on Jan. 6, Drummond has reached double figures nine times in thirteen games. During that time, the Kenosha-native is averaging 11.4 points per game and 4.3 rebounds per contest. One major reason for her increased scoring output, free throws. Drummond has been living at the line of late and has shot 69 free throws in the last 13 games after shooting just 15 in the seasons first 11 games. Drummond, who is averaging 9.5 ppg overall and 10.6 ppg in league-only contests, has drilled 76.9% of her free throws in the last 13 games.

Cardiac Kids Do It Again

Give the 2003-04 UWM women's hoops team this, it certainly has a flair for the dramatic. Following Saturday's one-point win over Cleveland State, the Panthers have now played 11 games that have been decided by five or fewer points this season while owning a 6-5 mark in those contests. Furthermore, of those 11 games many of those have come down to the final possession. In addition to Maria Viall's game winner versus CSU here are a few other "nailbiting finishes": Nichole Drummond hits a game-winning three-pointer with 19 seconds left versus Detroit on Jan. 29. Viall hits two free throws with no time remaining to send the Loyola game to overtime on Jan. 10. Kiley Johnson misses a potential game-tying three-pointer versus Marquette on Jan. 6. UWM hits four free throws in the final minute and sees a last gasp three-ball fall short at Detroit on Feb. 7.

And The Countdown Is On

The Maria Viall scoring watch is officially on. With four regular season games remaining and at least one postseason contest, the senior is on pace to become UWM's all-time scoring leader. Viall, who has scored 1,770 points in her four-year career, needs just 61 points to eclipse Jaci Clark as the school's scoring champion. At her current pace of 18.0 points per game, Viall will break Clark's mark in the quarterfinal round of the 2004 Horizon League Tournament on Thursday, March 4. In addition to the school's scoring record, Viall is quickly climbing the Horizon League scoring list where she sits third on the all-time chart. Viall is currently Milwaukee's all-time blocked shots leader with 158 while her 905 career rebounds place her third all-time.

Freshman Floor General Out For The Year

Reality sure can bite. Just ask UWM point guard Aubrey Hampton. The freshman floor general had been playing some of the best basketball of her young career before a knee injury more than likely ended her rookie season in the Horizon League. Hampton, who leads the Panthers in assists (3.5 per game) and free throw shooting (80.8), was averaging 10.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in Horizon League play before being hurt. The fearless Hampton injured her right knee on a drive to the basket versus Cleveland State and will miss the rest of the year with a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in the knee.

League Tourney Comes To Milwaukee

On the heels of the hugely successful 2003 Horizon League Men's Basketball Tournament, the 2004 Horizon League Women's Tournament will look for similar excitement when it comes to Milwaukee in March. The tourney, which is scheduled for March 2-8 at the Klotsche Center, has changed formats from the previous years. The four quarterfinal games on March 4 will be held at the campuses of the top four seeds. If UWM is a top four seed and it wins it's quarterfinal game then the two semifinal battles and championship match will move to Milwaukee on Sunday, March 7 and Monday, March 8.