Feb. 23, 2002

MILWAUKEE -- The Horizon League regular-season championship comes down to the last game of the season for the UWM women's basketball team today at 2 p.m. The Panthers host instate rival UW-Green Bay, with sharing first place in the league with an identical record of 20-6 overall and 14-1 in the league.

The Panthers are coming off a convincing 67-46 win over Youngstown State Thursday night in Ohio. That victory allowed Milwaukee to tie Green Bay for the top spot in the standings, coupled with Green Bay's loss against Cleveland State a week ago when the Panthers swept their two road games.

Both teams split the regular-season co-championship last year, though Green Bay was awarded the first seed in the league tournament after tie-breaking procedures. But there will be no sharing of titles this season, and the Panthers hope to win their first ever outright championship today.

SERIES HISTORY VS. GREEN BAY The Phoenix hold the 34-14 series edge and beat the Panthers in overtime in their first meeting this year. Last season, UWM beat the Phoenix at home, 72-66, and again in the tournament championship, 77-62.

SCOUTING THE PHOENIX Green Bay saw its 14-game winning streak come to an end last Saturday against Cleveland State on the road. The Phoenix shot just 34.5 percent and never led in their 66-55 loss to the Vikings. Their low shooting percentage came on 6-of-21 attempts from behind the arc, and also hit just 9-of-16 from the line. Meanwhile, the Vikings made 20-of-26 free throws and shot 45.7 percent from the field. Both teams committed 21 turnovers, which is seven more than what Green Bay usually makes. The teams were also even on the boards with 36 rebounds each. The 2001 Player of the Year, Mandy Stowe, was held to six points on 3-of-14 from the field, while Sara Boyer led the squad on 5-of-14 field goals for 12 points. Elizabeth Dudley added 11 points and Amanda Leonhard scored 10.

Stowe ranks third in the league in scoring with 15.9 ppg behind Maria Viall, and 17th in rebounding with 4.8 rpg as a center. Kristy Loiselle ranks fourth in the league in assists with 4.46 apg behind Holly Tamm. Green Bay leads the league in several categories, including scoring offense and defense, scoring margin, field goal percentage, 3-pt field goal percentage, assists, turnover margin and rebounding defense.

LEAGUE STANDINGS Though UWM's two close road wins last week were good news, the Panthers celebrated even bigger news with Cleveland State's win over Green Bay. That allowed the Phoenix and the Panthers to both tally one loss in the league, though Green Bay was still a game ahead in the win column having played one more game. The Panthers evened that out with their game against Youngstown State, and are now tied with the Phoenix after posting a victory Thursday night. UWM and UWGB shared the regular-season title last year, but with both teams' records standing at 20-6 overall and 14-1 in the league, only one team will claim the championship Saturday.

UWM'S GAME AGAINST YOUNGSTOWN Maria Viall tallied 23 points and 15 rebounds for her sixth double double of the season to lead UWM over Youngstown State, 67-46, Thursday night at Breeghly Arena.

The win over Youngstown State gives UWM its 20th win of the season, the most wins ever since the program went to Division I status in 1990-91.

Viall had 15 points in the first half to help UWM lead by 13 at halftime, and finished on 10-of-15 from the field. Malika Willoughby scored 14 points, while Holly Tamm added eight points and six assists.

Though the Panthers shot 38 percent from the field, their defense carried them from the start. UWM swiped 14 steals and forced Youngstown State to commit 25 turnovers. YSU was held to 36 percent shooting, while the Panthers also took the 45-35 advantage on the boards.

UWM led 41-26 five minutes into the second half, but the Penguins scored 10 straight points to cut their deficit to just five points. Stefanie Kaufmann broke YSU's momentum when she hit a jumper off a feed from Malika Willoughby.

Willoughby came through a minute later with a three pointer to put UWM up by double digits, and then hit another trey to give the Panthers the 52-36 lead with 7:05 remaining.

The Panthers played furious defense from the start, but offensively took over midway through the first half. Trailing by one, UWM went on 13-0 run and built a 20-8 lead with 8:00 left in the half. Viall showed strong on the post with three consecutive baskets-including one off a great dish by Tamm, who stole the ball at halfcourt and found Viall while under pressure.

SEEING DOUBLE Maria Viall grabbed her sixth double-double of the season against Youngstown State on Feb. 21, recording 23 points and 15 rebounds. Viall had seen three games between recording her last double-double, coming against Loyola on Feb. 4. She also accomplished the feat in games against Green Bay, Saint Mary's, UIC and the Panthers' other matchup with Loyola. On three other occasions, she was shy of a double-double by just one rebound: 33 points vs. Butler, 22 points vs. Cleveland State and 20 points vs. Cleveland State.

POINT WELL TAKEN Malika Willoughby scored a career-high 14 points against Youngstown State Saturday to help UWM to a 21-point margin of victory. The freshman point guard shot 50 percent from the field on 6-of-12 field goals, including 2-of-4 three pointers. She also tallied five rebounds, three steals and two assists. That is the sixth time this season she has scored in double digits, and she averages 5.6 ppg.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE FACTS FACTS With 10 career double-doubles, sophomore Maria Viall has moved into second 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.

POURING IN THE POINTS The Panthers' 21-point league victory against Youngstown State Feb. 21st marked the ninth time this season the Panthers have won by 20 or more points, continuing to set the school record. Milwaukee has posted eight of those wins in league play, and has outscored league opponents by 18.9 points per game.

BOOK WORM Maria Viall has done a lot of reading and writing this season, as she has etched her name into seven categories in the UWM season records book. Currently she ranks: 3rd in points (430), 2nd in points per game (16.5), 2nd in field goals made (173), 1st in field goal percentage (.569), 7th in rebounds (179), tied for 5th in rebounds per game (6.9) and 2nd in blocks (43).

BIG-GAME HUNTER The annual highlight of Milwaukee's league schedule has always been the home-and-home series with UW-Green Bay. With the recent success in the league of UWM, the games have taken on a larger meaning. No one gets up for the games more than Jessica Wilhite. In the five career games against the Phoenix prior to this season, Wilhite averaged 28.8 ppg, and is shooting .513 (40-78) from the field and .522 (24-46) from three-point range. In last season's series, Wilhite set a school and Horizon League record with 10 three-pointers at Green Bay on Jan. 20. She then set a Horizon League Tournament record with seven three-pointers en route to a career-high and league tournament record 36 points in the championship game. In the teams' first game this season Jan. 26th, Wilhite was well guarded but still managed to score 17 points. Though those points were well below her average against the Phoenix, it came on 7-of-12 looks from the field, including 2-of-4 three pointers.

ALMOST A TRIPLE DOUBLE Holly Tamm helped turn around the Panthers in the second half against Cleveland State to pull out the victory. Tamm had nine rebounds, five assists and five points in the half to get near to a triple double on the game. She finished with a career-high 14 rebounds, while also recording nine points and eight assists.

ALL-AROUND PLAYER Holly Tamm may be the most all-around player for the Panthers, while averaging 10.3 points and 4.5 assists per game. The senior guard has scored in double digits for UWM in 13 games this season, while currently ranking sixth in the school records book for single-season assists with 118. The senior captain is also consistent on defense, swiping 56 steals overall to tie Jessica Wilhite lead the team. She has recorded five steals twice, four steals twice and three steals six times.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Holly Tamm was named the Horizon League Player of the Week Feb. 18th following her leadership in helping grab two close wins on the road last week. That is the third time this season a Panther was recognized with the honor, as Maria Viall was named back-to-back Player of the Week. Viall was recognized by the league Jan. 14th after pouring in a career-high 33 points against Butler. On Jan. 7th, she recorded double-doubles in consecutive league wins and averaged 18.5 points, 11 rebounds.

EIGHT PLAYER ROTATION FOR A WIN Against Detroit, coach Sandy Botham used an eight-player rotation for just the second time this season and the third time in her career at UWM. She used only eight Panthers in the 61-57 loss to Valparaiso earlier this season, and also just eight players when UWM lost to Dayton, 79-70, in 1996.

HISTORY LESSON On the same road swing to Cleveland State and Detroit last season, the Panthers lost to Detroit, while Green Bay lost to Cleveland State. Later in the season, UWM beat UWGB at home to share with them the regular-season crown, but the Panthers could have taken the title solo had they beaten the Titans that same night Green Bay lost. The Panthers were able to make up for that this season in a similar situation. With Green Bay previously undefeated, the Panthers were able to pull out a close one at Detroit--where they haven't done so in four years--while Green Bay dropped its game at Cleveland State for the second straight year. Having won their last road game, the Panthers now control their destiny of taking a title.

CLOSE GAMES The two-point win over Detroit came as UWM's closest margin of victory this year, and just the fourth time UWM has won by five points or less. UWM has beaten teams by scoring in double digits on 13 occasions. The Panthers are 3-2 in games decided by five points or less. UWM played in two overtime games this season, falling to instate rivals Marquette (67-65) and Green Bay (83-75).

FOURTEEN-TREY FIESTA Last time UWM took on Youngstown State, the Panthers nailed 14 three pointers to break the Division I school record for most treys in a game. UWM 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 47 points, recorded on Jan. 22, 1991 in a 104-57 win over Northeastern Illinois at home. That win still holds the school record of most points scored by UWM, though the Panthers came close to the record this season with a 102-71 win over Detroit.

THIRD PANTHER IN DOUBLE DIGITS Holly Tamm's career-high of 27 points against Detroit put her over the hump in points per game. She now averages 10.2 ppg, and joins Maria Viall and Jessica Wilhite averaging in double figures. The last time UWM had three players end the season averaging in double digits was the 1999-00 season: Corin Von Wald (11.9), Daryl Schaffeld (10.8) and Jessica Wilhite (10.4).

FOUR MORE TO GO UWM coach Sandy Botham needs just three more wins to grab her 100th UWM career victory. She currently holds a 97-69 record in her sixth year at UWM, and already reached 100 career wins overall this year in the season opener. She led Beloit College to a 22-4 record in one season and now holds a 119-73 career record in her seventh season as a head coach.

RECORD ATTEMPTS Though the Panthers were just shy of the school record for most threes in a game when they connected on 13 against Wright State Feb. 7, they did break the school record for most three pointers attempted. UWM shot the three a school-record 37 times, beating the previous record of 30 attempts set last season against Green Bay.

CONSISTENT IN APPEARANCE Stefanie Kaufmann broke the school record for most consecutive career games played when she took the floor against Cleveland State on the road. Kaufmann has now appeared in 111 straight career games, beating the previous Division I record of 108 held by Trina Rathke (1995-98) and Apryl Rodman (1994-98). Junior Jessica Wilhite (84), sophomore Maria Viall (56) and freshman Malika Willoughby (26) are the only other current players on pace for the same feat of playing every team game.

BEST 3-PT ACT YET THIS SEASON Jessica Wilhite's 18 points against Wright State all came from behind the arc on Feb. 7. The junior guard made 6-of-12 three pointers to record a season high, beating the previous of five established against Loyola on Jan. 1. Wilhite's career record is 10 three pointers made last season against Green Bay, which also is a league and school record. This season she averages 2.4 treys a game, down from 3.1/game last season, but still ranks first in the league with 63 three pointers made.

HUNDRED HELPING HANDS Senior guard Holly Tamm tallied her 100th assist of the season against Wright State after dishing out her second in the game. With 118 assists made through 26 games, she currently ranks seventh in the school's Division I record's book for single-season assists. She has the potential of reaching third if she keeps up with her current pace of 4.34 per game. The last time a Panther averaged at least four assists per game was during the 1996-97 season by Jen Greger. Greger's total of 129 assists holds third place in the records book from that season.

STEALING HOME With the last victory at home over Wright State, UWM extended its home league winning streak to 23 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. UWM has just one home game left on its schedule to remain undefeated in the league for the third straight year.

ROAD WARRIORS UWM has won 11 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 one away game left on its schedule entering this week, with a potential of one more if they play host Loyola at the Horizon League Tournament.

UWM'S RPI Milwaukee is currently ranked 72nd 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 with a 21-6 record.

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. UWM defeated Detroit, 102-71, on Jan. 19, and beat Youngstown State, 100-46, on Feb. 2. UWM has recorded 100-point games two other times in its division I history, but has 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.

BATTLE OF THE BOARDS UWM showed strong on the boards against Youngstown State, outrebounding the Penguins, 45-35. The Panthers had to focus on rebounding after escaping with a two-point victory over Detroit, which saw the Titans win the battle on the boards by 11 more rebounds than UWM. Overall, the Panthers haven't been beaten on the boards in 17 of their 26 games, with eight of those coming in consecutive games. Detroit's +11 rebounding margin over UWM is the largest amount since the Panthers allowed Illinois State a +13 rebounding margin in the second game of the season. In the league, UWM ranks third in rebounding margin (+2.6).

PERFECT PLAY Reserve Angela Wenzel came off the bench against Youngstown State on Feb. 2nd to score 11 points. Her contribution came off of 4-of-4 field goals, including 3-of-3 treys, in 16 minutes of play. She has played in every game for the Panthers this season and has scored in double figures six times, including three times in a four-game span. She scored a career-high 17 points earlier this season against Cleveland State.

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 1,092 career points and ranks eighth 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.

HELPING HAND Only once this season has UWM assist leader Holly Tamm failed to dish out at an assist. That day came against UIC on Jan. 31, when Tamm recorded 10 points and two steals, but no assists. On the season, she averages 4.54/game, good for second in the league. She has recorded at least four assists in 18 games and at least five in 12 games, while tying a career-high eight assists twice this season. In the league, she averages 5.1 assists per game while also scoring 11.5 points. Tamm also takes care of the ball as she is ranked second in the league in assist/turnover ratio with a 2.23 ratio.

TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF The Panthers got a little careless against Wright State by recording four more turnovers than assists. However, they have gotten back on track and have not committed more turnovers than assists since then. Overall, the Panthers have recorded more assists than turnovers in 14 games this season.

LEAGUE STREAK ENDED Though UWM hasn't been beaten by a league foe at home through 23 consecutive games played at the Klotsche Center, the Panthers saw their 16-game win streak against league teams end on Jan. 26. Green Bay handed UWM its first league loss since Feb.8, 2001. 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.

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. On the season, the Panthers have recorded single digits at the line just six times.

GIANT VICTORY The 102 points UWM scored against Detroit Jan. 19th 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.

YEAH, BUT CAN THEY PLAY DEFENSE? The Panthers did some editing in their record book following two straight games. On Jan. 19 against Detroit, the Milwaukee offense stole the show with a 102-71 victory. On Jan. 23 against Butler, 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.

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 in the NCAA Tournament). The Panthers are currently on a seven-game winning streak and could break the school record with one regular season game left and a possibility of three more games in the league tournament.

HALF A RECORD Though it didn't set the school record for most points in a game, the win over Detroit on Jan. 19 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 53 points scored in the first half against Northeastern Illinois in the 1990-91 season.

PANTHER DEFENSE Against Youngstown State Feb. 21, UWM's tenacious defense forced 25 turnovers to record the 18th time this season it has forced an opponent to commit at least 20 turnovers. UWM forced 31 turnovers from Butler on Jan. 23, the highest amount an opponent has coughed up this season. The Panthers force an average of 21.5 turnovers per contest and rank second in the league with a +4.12 turnover margin.

FRESHMEN LEADERS Point guard Malika Willoughby led the team in scoring against Wright State on Jan. 10, 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 led the Panthers in scoring. Forward Christine Gutierrez guided UWM with a team-high 14 points at Bowling Green 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.

SCORING STREAK Maria 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 on Jan. 10. Overall, she has scored in single digits just four times on the season. 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 16-1 record overall when she starts.

UP THE CHARTS Also making news with career leaderboards is sophomore center Maria Viall. Viall has 43 blocks this season, giving her 75 career blocks for fourth place in the school records book. Viall is looking to make a run at UWM's Division I school record of 47 blocks in a single season, held by Erica Young (1993-94). The all-time career leader in blocks is Camie Nonof with 136 blocks.

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. She has made at least one three pointer in every other game 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 three pointers, and made 3-of-5 free throws.

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.

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 16.5 points per game, while Wilhite is second with 12.9 ppg. Viall ranks second in the Horizon League in scoring, while Wilhite ranks 10th.

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 12th opportunity.

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.