MILWAUKEE @ EVANSVILLE
Game #1
Date: Friday, Nov. 13, 2009
Time: 7 p.m. Central
Location: Evansville, Ind.
Arena: Roberts Stadium (11,600)
Radio: AM 920 WOKY (Talent: Scott Warras)
Television: None
uwmpanthers.com: Gametracker
• Complete Release in PDF Format 
MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Nov. 10, 2009) - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team opens the 2009-10 regular season on the road Friday, heading to Indiana to take on Evansville. The Panthers are coming off a 1-1 exhibition season record, while the Purple Aces won their only preseason contest. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Scouting The Evansville Purple Aces
Evansville went 15-19 last season, but made an improbable run through the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament to advance to the NCAA Tournament. The Purple Aces went 4-14 in the MVC regular season, but won four games in four days in the tournament. Second year head coach Misty Murphy returns two starters from last season, including Amy Gallagher and Stephanie Bamberger. Gallagher is the top returning scorer after averaging 10.2 points per game last season. Evansville played one exhibition game, defeating Oakland City, 81-65, last Saturday.
Series History
Milwaukee and Evansville have met four times before, alternating wins in the series. The Purple Aces scored a 62-61 overtime win last season at the Klotsche Center. UWM overcame an eight-point deficit with 2:12 to play in regulation to force overtime in that game, but had two shots rattle out of the basket in the final four seconds of the extra period.
Up Next - Rematch With SIUE
The Panthers stay on the road through the weekend, playing at SIU Edwardsville Sunday in Edwardsville, Ill. UWM and SIUE met last season for the first time since Milwaukee went Division I.
Last Time Out - Milwaukee 66, Stevens Point 57
Junior Ashley Imperiale scored 19 points and junior Lindsay Laur had a double-double of 11 points and 14 boards to lead Milwaukee to a 66-57 win over UW-Stevens Point in an exhibition contest Nov. 5. The Panthers trailed by one as late as 8:43 in the second half, but began pulling away and built a 10-point advantage in the final minute. Imperiale chipped in eight rebounds, while junior Jenilee Klomstad also reached double-figures with 14 points and seven rebounds.
Preseason Experience
The Panthers went 1-1 in the exhibition season, including a buzzer-beater loss to UW-Parkside Nov. 1. Lindsay Laur led the team over the two games, averaging a double-double of 12.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Ashley Imperiale averaged a team-best 13.0 points and Jenilee Klomstad was close behind at 12.5 ppg. Both Imperiale and Klomstad added 6.0 rebounds per game.
Let's Get It Started
UWM has won one of its last six season-openers and is 4-10 in the first game of the season under head coach Sandy Botham. Six of the Panthers' last seven openers have come against the Big East, Big XII, Big Ten and the ACC. UWM is 5-13 in openers since its first season in Division I (1990-91), playing 11 schools from the `BCS' conferences.
Preseason Prognosticators
Milwaukee was picked to finish fifth in the Horizon League standings this season, according to the league's preseason poll. The Panthers garnered a first-place vote and 155 total points in the poll, which is voted on by league head coaches, sports information directors and media. Defending league champion Green Bay topped the poll with 266 points and 19 first-place votes. UWM, which placed seventh in the league standings a year ago, and GB faced off in the 2009 league championship game.
Back In Black & Gold
UWM returns eight letterwinners from last season, including five upperclassmen. While last season featured a school-record five-member senior class, the 2009-10 Panthers will boast just one senior in Jodie McClain. Also back in uniform will be juniors Lindsay Laur, Ashley Imperiale, Jenilee Klomstad and Stephanie Schell. Laur was a strong candidate for Horizon League Sixth Player of the Year last season and was the team's second-leading scorer (9.6 ppg) and rebounder (6.0). Imperiale came on strong and was a league all-newcomer and all-tournament team selection.
But What That Means...
Despite losing five seniors, including three starters, the Panthers are not without strong experience. In fact, the eight returners accounted for 43 percent of the team's scoring last season and 39 percent of its rebounding. The group also accounted for 66 starts and boasts 94 career starts.
Welcome To Milwaukee
Five newcomers will pepper Milwaukee's roster in 2009-10, including three junior college transfers. Anne Breland and Nicole Holman played for national championship teams last season. Breland was a two-time NJCAA Division III All-American and led Rochester Technical and Community College to the DIII title last season. Holman helped Kirkwood Community College to the DII championship after playing at Tennessee-Martin as a freshman and during a redshirted second season. Ciera McGaughy comes from Des Moines Area Community College after being one of the top point prep guards in the state of Michigan. Milwaukee also added a pair of Michigan prep stars in Sammy Theut and Sami Tucker. Theut was the Class D State Player of the Year, while Tucker was named to the Class A All-State First Team.
On The Docket In 2009-10
The Panthers take on eight total post-season teams from last season during the 2009-10 season, including NCAA Division I Tournament teams in Green Bay and Evansville. It also takes on UW-Stevens Point in an exhibition game. The Pointers advanced to the Sweet 16 of the DIII tournament. Milwaukee plays host to all three of its in-state rivalry games, inlcuding non-league tilts with Wisconsin and Marquette, both of which advanced multiple rounds in the WNIT. Other WNIT Teams on the docket are Dayton, Illinois State and Butler. The Panthers also take a trip to Seattle, Wash., where they will take on 20-game winners in South Alabama (21-11) and Seattle University (20-9) at SeattleU's tournament.
League Success
The Panthers are looking to continue a strong tradition of success in the Horizon League in 2009-10. Milwaukee has finished second-or-better in the league standings in eight of the last 10 seasons and are 105-41 in league games since 1999-2000. UWM has won league titles in 2001 and 2006.
Home Sweet Home
The Klotsche Center remains a difficult place for visiting teams to succeed. In 13 years under Sandy Botham, the Panthers are 113-56 at home. The Panthers went just 7-7 at home last season, but recently posted a school-record 13-3 home campaign in 2005-06. In league play, those numbers are even better as Milwaukee boasts a 78-24 home record. That number has gotten a boost lately, as the Panthers have won 63 of their last 80 home league games over the last nine seasons. UWM has also posted three perfect home league years, going 8-0 in 2003-04 and 7-0 in both 1999-2000 and 2000-01.
It's Not How You Start, But How You Finish
Milwaukee may have had a down year in league play, going 7-11 and earning the seventh seed in the league tournament, but that didn't stop the team from advancing to the league title game for the third time in team history. The Panthers became the first team to advance to the title game after playing in the league's first round since the round was added in 2001. To get there, they had to win three games in five days in three cities. That week, Milwaukee beat No. 10 Youngstown State Monday at home. It then knocked off No. 2 Butler in Indianapolis Wednesday, before coming back Friday and eliminating No. 3 Cleveland State in Green Bay.
Panthers On The Air
For the third-straight season, every Panther game will be carried live on AM920 WOKY. The station is also be the home of the Sandy Botham Radio Show, while both the show and every game will be available live at uwmpanthers.com. Scott Warras returns for his fourth season as the voice of UWM women's basketball and the host of the Sandy Botham Radio show. He will also host the Sandy Botham television show, which will air of Time Warner Sports 32.
Be Sure To Watch
UWM will continue to get television coverage in the Milwaukee area, with four games being carried live on Time Warner Sports 32 and then be replayed on the station afterwards. The Panthers will also play at Green Bay Feb. 13 on ESPNU. Also, every regular season home game will be available to watch online through the Horizon League Network (www.horizonleaguenetwork.tv).
