KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Senior Ashley Green led the way with 24 points and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team led the entire way in defeating UMKC, 72-60, Tuesday evening at Swinney Recreation Center.
 
"We've played a really tough schedule so far and to be on the road and get this win was key for us," Milwaukee head coach Kyle Rechlicz said. "We are excited to get it and now we are excited to go home and play games with our fans in the stands."
 
The Panthers (2-4) jumped ahead of the Kangaroos (2-5) by 13 at intermission and allowed the lead to slip under double-digits on just one occasion in the second half. Freshman Jenny Lindner took care of the momentum at that point, scoring eight points in a row to give Milwaukee a 58-44 lead with just over eight minutes to play.
 
Green posted her third double-double of the season, finishing with a game-high 10 rebounds. Lindner was in double-figures with 10 and added three boards.
 
"I felt like Ashley was getting a lot of contact in the paint (early in the game), so for her to play through that and make an adjustment in her game was key," Rechlicz said. "We told her to be more of a power player and I thought she did that in the second half."
 
Freshman Steph Kostowicz chipped in nine and sophomore Christina Wakeman contributed three rebounds, a block and eight points, just one off her career-best of nine points.
 
Junior Jaleesa Armstrong led the offense with a season-high eight assists and added six steals. Senior Macie Dorow also had eight points, including a key pair of three-pointers when UMKC was hanging around in the second half and trying to cut the lead under double-digits.
 
"Macie hit two 3's to get us there and then to have Jenny hit two more down the stretch to make that secondary run," Rechlicz said. "We knew they were going to make a charge and we had to fight back. I thought those two stepped up and hit some key baskets. Christina Wakeman did the same thing."
 
Calli White paced the 'Roos with 16 points. The 60 points they scored marked the best effort by the Milwaukee defense this season.
 
"We know our team can score," Rechlicz said. "So our defense is really something that we will be taking a lot of pride in as the season continues to go along."
 
The score was tied at two before UWM took the lead it would never relinquish near the start of the night. The defense played well early, limiting UMKC to just a pair of makes on its first 12 attempts from the floor as the Panthers built an early 11-4 advantage.
 
A 6-1 spurt forced a timeout and saw UWM with a 21-10 lead on a layup by junior Sydney Howard at the 8:25 mark.
 
Green's lay in less than a minute later gave the Panthers their first double-digit lead of the night at 23-13. The 'Roos trimmed the lead from 10 to six at 25-19, forcing a strong response by Milwaukee.
 
Green hit a putback and Kostowicz scored five in a row on a three-pointer that hit nothing but the bottom of the net and a layup. Those points were part of the final minutes of the first that saw UWM score nine of the last 11 points to extend the lead to 13 at the break at 34-21. It also held UMKC to under 25 percent shooting from the floor in the period.
 
Green started slowly, missing her first five shots from the field, but ended the first half with a team-high 12 points to go with five boards.
 
For the game, UWM held its opponent to under 40 percent shooting from the floor (.385, 20-of-52) and tied the rebounding battle at 36. The eight turnovers the Panthers had were just one off the school record of seven for a single game.
 
Up next, the team finally gets to go back home, opening a four-game stretch at the Klotsche Center with a contest against Omaha, Dec. 7 at 2 p.m.