Katie Fournier
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Panthers Go For League Title At Loyola Saturday
Milwaukee last won league regular season title in 2000-01
Milwaukee Panthers (17-8, 13-2)
at Loyola Ramblers (3-23, 3-12)
Game 27 Saturday, Feb. 25 • 1 p.m.
Gentile Center (5,500) • Chicago, Ill.
Television: None • Radio: 1290 AM, WMCS
uwmpanthers.com: Live Stats, Video and Audio
Game Notes in PDF Format
MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Feb. 24, 2006) - In search of its second Horizon League Regular Season Championship, and riding an eight-game winning streak, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team travels to Chicago Saturday to take on Loyola in the regular season finale for both teams. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Gentile Center. The Panthers are tied for first place in the league standings and could lock up the top seed in the upcoming league tournament with a win. Meanwhile, the Ramblers could move out of the tourney's No. 8 vs. No. 9 game with a win.
League Webcasting
Every Horizon League game will be broadcast live on the internet in streaming video as per the league's partnership with CSTV. All games are free and can be accessed on the schedule/results page of horizonleague.org. Each game can also be found on the website of the host school. Also, each Panther home league contest will be available on Time Warner Digital Cable's Wisconsin On Demand, channel 1111, after the game is played.
Scouting Loyola
Loyola heads into Saturday on a seven-game losing streak, which followed two of the team's three wins in back-to-back games. At 3-12 in league play, the Ramblers are playing for a spot in the quarterfinals of next week's league tournament. A loss, drops LUC into the eighth seed and a first round game against No. 9 Cleveland State. The Ramblers are led by Marquise Hanser, who is averaging 17.7 points and 3.0 assists per game, while two more players are scoring in double-figures. Despite a total of four players averaging at least 9.0 points per contest, Loyola is averaging just 59.9 points and surrendering a league-worst 77.2.
Series History
The Panthers have won 22-of-30 meetings with Loyola, including a 17-3 record under head coach Sandy Botham. The Ramblers, however, held their own at home, forcing a 7-7 split in the series when played on their home court.
Last Meeting: Milwaukee 67, Loyola 58
UWM held Loyola without a field goal over the final 11:41 of the second half to overcome a late three-point deficit and win, 67-58, Feb. 9 at the U.S. Cellular Arena. The Ramblers were held to just eight free throws down the stretch, while the Panthers rattled off a 20-8 run.
Last Time Out:
• Milwaukee 65, UIC 58
Milwaukee used a 20-5 run midway through the second half to runaway with a 65-58 win over UIC, Thursday night in Chicago. Molly O'Brien scored a team-high 17 points for UWM.
Happy New Year!
UWM ended 2005 on a sour note, losing to Butler in overtime after overcoming a large, late deficit. But, since the calendar switched to 2006, the Panthers have been all smiles. Milwaukee has won 13 of its 14 games this calendar year and are enjoying an eight-game winning streak, the third-longest win streak in the team's Division I history. The record is a pair of nine-game stretches during the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons.
Reaching New Heights
Thanks to the Panthers' recent success, they have pushed their record to 18-8. The 18 wins are the third-most in UWM's Division I era, while the record is 20. Milwaukee is also 10 games over .500 for the first time since being 20-6 after defeating Youngstown State Feb. 21, 2002.
Quest For A League Title
The Panthers control their own destiny in terms of this year's league regular season championship. A UWM win or UW-Green Bay loss ensures Milwaukee of at least a share of the title and the No. 1 seed in the league tournament. Both a UWM win and UWGB loss, would mean the Panthers' first outright league title ever. Milwaukee has already clinched its seventh-straight second-place-or-better finish. The only other time UWM has won a league title was 2000-01, when the Panthers tied UWGB for first and won the tourney as the second seed.
Seeding Scenarios
What Milwaukee knows is that it will host a league quarterfinal game March 2 at 7 p.m. at the Klotsche Center. Also, Youngstown State is the pre-determined host of the semifinals and finals, but only if it wins a quarterfinal game. In the event YSU does not advance past the quarters, hosting rights would go to the top remaining seed. Here are the possible quarterfinal scenarios for Milwaukee:
• If UWM/UWGB both win -or- both lose
Milwaukee is the No. 1 seed and plays winner of a Loyola/Cleveland State first round game.
• If UWM wins/UWGB loses
Milwaukee is the No. 1 seed and plays winner of a Loyola/Cleveland State first round game.
• If UWM loses/UWGB wins
The Panthers would be the No. 2 seed and host Loyola in the quarterfinals.
Swept Away
The Panthers are looking for their sixth sweep of a league opponent this season when they travel to Loyola Saturday. Under Sandy Botham, UWM has completed 37 season sweeps of opponents, while being swept just seven times in 10 seasons. Youngstown State picked up a rare sweep last season, the first sweep by a team other than UWGB since 1998-99.
Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold
Thursday's win at UIC gave Milwaukee sweet revenge for its loss at the UIC Pavilion last season. In fact, UWM has avenged each of its five league losses from last season, including sweeps of both Youngstown State and UW-Green Bay.
With a Little Help from My Friends
At UIC Thursday, UWM picked up 22 assists on 24 made baskets for its fourth 20-plus assist game of the season. That figure gives the Panthers 423 on the season and is pushing them closer to the school record of 469 set in 2000-01. The team is also on pace to have five players top 50 assists in the same season for the first time since 2001-02. Sophomore Meredith Onson leads the team with 84, while senior Molly O'Brien (77), freshman Traci Edwards (59) and senior Nichole Drummond (50) have also reached 50. Sophomore Dana Schultz needs just nine more to be the fifth Panther to the mark.
Individually Speaking...
Edwards' total seems most impressive, in relative terms. She has sprinted past the school record for assists by a center of 49, set by Kimberly Becker last season. Meanwhile, Onson has a chance to become the first UWM player to 100 assists in a season since 2001-02, while O'Brien has a chance to join her for the first 100-assist UWM teammates since 1999-00.
Freshmen Host Block Party
Freshman Traci Edwards has 39 blocks this season, a UWM freshman record and fourth-best in school history. Fellow frosh Katie Fournier is second on the team with 11 on the year and has blocked seven shots in her last two games, including five shots vs. Youngstown State Feb. 18. That figure is tied for second-most in a game in team history. The rookie blocks don't stop there, as Emily Markert is fourth on the team, having six blocks this season.
Taking Things National
The Panthers are popping up in the national statistic rankings lately, sitting among the top 50 in four categories when the NCAA released its latest statistics Tuesday. Their best field has been rebounding, where the team's rebounding margin is 24th among the 324 Division I schools. UWM is also 29th in field goal percentage, 37th in assists and 50th with just 15.6 personal fouls per game.
Rebounding From Being Outrebounded
Youngstown State was the last team to outrebound the Panthers, as they have since outrebounded their last 12 foes by an average of 11.9 boards per game, including a +8 margin against the Penguins last Saturday. Overall, UWM has outrebounded 15 of its last 16 opponents, posted 13 games with a +10-or-better margin and gone 17-3 when holding the edge on the boards. Incidentally, its first game with YSU was its only win when being outrebounded.
In And Out
Nichole Drummond and Traci Edwards give the Panthers a formidable inside/outside punch that was on display at Butler Feb. 11. The duo combined for 45 points on 20-of-26 shooting. It was the third game this season they each topped 20 points. One of them has scored team-high points in 23-of-26 games and scored double digits in all but one game. Drummond and Edwards have also both scored at least 10 points in 18 contests. Currently, Edwards leads the team with 15.6 points per game, while Drummonds is averaging 12.9.
20/20 Vision
Traci Edwards has 13 double-doubles this season, but it was her ninth that proved to be the most impressive. At Wright State Jan. 26, she scored a team-high 21 points and pulled down a school-record 22 rebounds. The rookie center broke the school mark of 21 reached last by Maria Viall twice during the 2002-03 season. The game was Milwaukee's first 20/20 game since the second of those games, Feb. 2, 2003. The 22 boards are also tied for second in history for a Horizon League game. Feb. 13, Edwards nearly matched her record-setting rebound feat, pulling down 21 boards vs. UW-Green Bay. Her two 20-board games are tied for the seventh and 14th-best performances in Division I this season. Meanwhile, she is 19th in the nation in rebounding and fourth among freshman.
Efficient Ain't She
Edwards has been receiving a lot of attention this season for her gaudy scoring and rebounding totals, but what has been most impressive has been her efficiency from the field. Edwards entered the week shooting a league-best 59.1 percent from the field, a figure that was 13th in the nation. Among fellow freshman, her shooting percentage ranked second nationally (Courtney Paris, Oklahoma - 62.2). The school record for field goal percentage in a season is 57.5 by Maria Viall in 2001-02.
Caught 1,000
With a lay-in just over midway through the first half against UW-Green Bay Feb. 4, Nichole Drummond became the 14th member of Milwaukee's 1,000 point club. She is also the sixth player to do it in UWM's Division I era. Maria Viall, in 2002-03, had been the last player to reach 1,000 and finished her career with a school-record 1,867 points. Drummond now has 1,107 career points and has jettisoned to No. 10 on the school's all-time scoring list, passing four members of the 1,000-point club in the last six games. At her current scoring pace, she could move as high as eighth (Rachel Mickelson, 1,152 pts) with a deep run by the Panthers in the league tournament.
Players Of The Week
Nichole Drummond was named Horizon League Player of the Week last week, marking her second-straight league honor. Overall, the Panthers had garnered the award three-straight times and four times this season. Traci Edwards earned the award twice, Jan.30 and Jan. 9.
Quite The Effect
Traci Edwards' 20-rebound games have her averaging over 10 per game. While posting double-doubles in half of her games, she is on pace to be just the fourth Panther to average a double-double for a season. Viall did it in each of her last two seasons, while Erica Young accomplished the feat in 1993-94.
Change Of Pace
The 2004-05 Panthers established themselves as a guard-oriented squad and set school records for three-pointers made and attempted in a season. This season, UWM has gone inside, and is averaging more than six less three-point attempts per game (20.7-14.1). In fact, in back-to-back games against Wright State (Jan. 5) and Youngstown State (Jan. 14), the Panthers attempted just 14 treys, including a season-low six at YSU. Milwaukee has eclipsed 20 three-point tries just twice this season after hitting the mark 19 times last year. Meanwhile, it has attempted 11 or fewer nine times, going 6-3 in those games and winning its last six.
But, There Are Exceptions
With added pressure of opponents in the paint on Traci Edwards, the Panthers have still taken advantage of their outside chances. At Green Bay Feb. 4, UWM attempted a season-high 26 three-pointers, hitting on a season-high nine. It's next outing was more conservative, as Milwaukee hit 6-of-11 from behind the arc for a season-best 54.5 percent. The team is 8-0 this season when making at least six three's after shooting 8-for-16 from long distance against the Phoenix in their rematch Feb. 13, and making 7-of-15 Thursday at UIC.
And One!
Part of the team's increased inside game is its increased three-point play tries. Through 26 games, the Panthers have drawn contact on 51 baskets and converted the ensuing free throw 34 times. Against Wright State on Jan. 26, UWM was 4-for-4 in such cases. Traci Edwards leads the team in the category, going 21-for-28 (.750) from the free throw line in a three-point play situations.
On Their Best Behavior
The Panthers have been on their best behavior this season on the basketball court. In fact, when Molly O'Brien fouled out at Wright State Jan. 26, she was just the second UWM player to do so this season. That figure is second in the league (UW-Green Bay - 1), while no other team has less than three. That game, Milwaukee committed 19 fouls after a then-season-low 10 fouls against UIC and its previous best of 11 the game before that at Northwestern. Feb. 13 against UW-Green Bay, the Panthers were whistled for just nine. On the other side of things, opponents are averaging 3.5 fouls more than UWM and have had 14 players foul out this season.
Coaching Milestones
Sandy Botham became the second coach in league history with 100 wins when UWM topped Cleveland State Jan. 28. She joined Green Bay's Kevin Borseth in the club. He won his 100th league contest earlier this season. For Botham, it was the second notable milestone she reached this season, surpassing 150 wins at UWM Jan. 12 at Youngstown State. She is one of just two coaches in school history to reach the mark, joining M.A.Kelling (284).
Heck Of A Half
The Panthers headed into halftime of its game at Northwestern Jan. 18 trailing 28-26. UWM then came out of the break and posted one of the best offensive halves in school history. Milwaukee shot 66.7 percent (20-30) for the half on its way to 55 points. The shooting percentage is the team's best since posting the same percentage (18-27) Feb. 27, 2003, against Wright State, while the point total is tied for the second-most in a half in school history. Combined with their first-half efforts, the Panthers finished the game at 55.6 percent, its best showing since that same Wright State contest.
Preseason Poll
The Panthers were picked to finish third in the Horizon League in the annual league preseason poll of coaches, SIDs and media. Milwaukee, which finished second or better in the league in each of the last six seasons, received 167 points to finish behind UW-Green Bay (221 points) and Wright State (178). The Phoenix received 23 first place votes with UWM collecting the other two. Seniors Nichole Drummond and Molly O'Brien were also named to preseason all-league teams, with Drummond getting a first-team nod and O'Brien being named to the second team.
League Success
UWM came into the season looking to build on a strong tradition of success in league play and so far it has yet to disappoint. The Panthers have finished second or better in the league in each of the last six seasons, including a co-regular season championship in 2001. Over that time, they have compiled a 83-24 (.767) league record, trailing only UW-Green Bay (95-12), while the next record is UIC at 56-51.
League Standings Since 1999-00
UW-Green Bay 95-12 (.888)
Milwaukee 83-24 (.776)
UIC 56-51 (.523)
Detroit 56-51 (.523)
Wright State 44-64 (.407)
Butler 39-68 (.364)
Cleveland State 39-69 (.361)
Loyola 34-73 (.318)
Youngstown State* 23-57 (.288)
* YSU joined the league in 2001-02
No Easy Task
Head coach Sandy Botham has traditionally scheduled a tough non-league slate to get her team ready for the Horizon League season. This year is no different, as the Panthers face a total of four teams that advanced to the post-season last year. After opening the season with an NCAA Tourney team in Oklahoma, UWM had a stretch of six-straight opponents that won 20-or-more games in 2004-05, including nationally-ranked DePaul. The Blue Demons advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season. Iowa (Nov. 20) and Marquette (Dec. 18) qualified for the WNIT after last season, with the Hawkeyes making it to the semifinals. In their six-game stretch against 20-win foes, Milwaukee posted a respectable 3-3 record.
Welcome Back
Junior Aubrey Hampton joins Nichole Drummond and Molly O'Brien as returning starters, while Milwaukee returns six of the top 10 players in their rotation from last season. Drummond was a first-team all-league honoree last season, while O'Brien was named to the all-league second and league all-defensive teams. Hampton made 19 starts, while five more players return with starting experience.
And To The New Faces...
The Panthers expect to receive a number of contributions from newcomers, with a pair of sophomore transfers and six freshmen. Meredith Onson (Boston U.) and Aubri Rote (Lakeland) will be eligible this year after sitting out 2004-05 due to NCAA transfer rules. Traci Edwards, Emily Markert and Turquoise McCain head the freshman class that also includes Kim Wypiszynski and Katie Fournier. Onson and Edwards will look to make their marks in the starting lineup, while each player could vie for time in the regular rotation this season.
New Faces On The Sidelines
The Milwaukee sideline will feature a few new faces in 2005-06, most notably with the addition of a pair of new assistant coaches. John Motherwell and Holly Spoo were named to the Panther staff over the summer, joining Jennifer Murphy, who is in her second season. Motherwell came to UWM from Minnesota State Moorhead, while Spoo spent last season at Wayne State College in Nebraska. Also new in 2005-06 are director of basketball operations LaTrisa Jackson and the team's athletic trainer Renee Manofsky.
On The Air
For the second-straight season, select Milwaukee women's basketball games can be heard throughout Milwaukee and Southeastern Wisconsin live on 1290 AM WMCS. All games, including the pregame and postgame shows and the weekly coaches' show, can also be heard on the officially-sanctioned website of UWM athletics - www.uwmpanthers.com. Bob Brainerd will serve as the voice of the Panthers for the remainer of season, calling a majority of the remaining games and and hosting the Sandy Botham Show.
Up Next
Milwaukee hosts a Horizon League Quarterfinal game Thursday, March 2, at the Klotsche Center. Its opponent is yet-to-be determined.
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