MILWAUKEE - Sophomore Jenny Lindner tied her career high with 25 points and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team led from the opening possession and never looked back in topping UMKC, 70-48, in the season opener Monday night at the Klotsche Center.
 
The Panthers (1-0) played great defense, forcing 22 turnovers and 34 percent shooting from the floor by the Kangaroos (0-2), helping them post the second-largest margin of victory in a season opener in Milwaukee's NCAA Division I history.
 
"She played outstanding," Milwaukee head coach Kyle Rechlicz said. "She embodies what we want, somebody who plays with that grit. Someone who takes her time and is patient on the offensive end to get the right shots. I was really proud of her and it's not even that, she brought it from the rebounding standpoint too."
 
Lindner added a game-high 10 rebounds to record her fourth career double-double. She actually equaled her career-best by the end of the third period with the 25 points but never had an opportunity to break it – she did not even attempt a field goal in the fourth quarter. Her 10-of-12 field-goal shooting (.833 FG%) marked the third-best in a single-game in school history.
 
Sophomore Steph Kostowicz joined her in double figures with 10 points despite being hampered by foul trouble early. She added three boards, three steals and a block.
 
Junior Sierra Ford-Washington chipped in with nine points and three steals in her UWM debut and freshman Emma Dau had eight points and three rebounds. Junior Alexis Lindstrom also finished with eight.
 
"We had a lot of people step up," Rechlicz said. "Not necessarily in categories of scoring or rebounding, but just the heart aspect. Our team is playing really hard right now and I think it builds us momentum; the energy is really good, the excitement for each other. It's a fun team to coach."
 
Kristen Moore led the 'Roos with 14 points.
 
Lindner took over in the third period, scoring eight straight points to take the lead from 46-31 to 54-31 and essentially putting the game away for the Panthers.
 
UWM also went on an important 10-0 run just after the start of the second period, hitting a pair of triples by Kostowicz and senior Sydney Howard to push the advantage to 14 at 27-13 at the time.
 
The 'Roos then dipped into the advantage but Lindner finished well on a last-second layup off a Rechlicz timeout that she converted into a three-point play with just 1.7 seconds left on the clock to push it back to 15, at 38-23, at intermission.
 
It was a good first quarter for the Panthers, holding the visitors to 18 percent on 2-of-11 shooting over the first 10 minutes. Milwaukee scored the first seven points of the night to force an early UMKC timeout. The lead eventually grew to 9-0 and 13-3, with the Panthers in command on defense.
 
The Kangaroos did not have a field goal attempt of any kind for first three-plus minutes and did not make a basket – only scoring from the line – until the 1:53 mark of the first quarter.
 
Milwaukee finished at 48.1 percent (25-of-52) from the floor for the game and also sank 87.5 percent (14-of-16) from the charity stripe. The new-look Panthers also pushed the ball well, racing out to a 12-2 advantage in fastbreak points.
 
The Panthers are off for the rest of the week, getting set to prepare for three games in Florida over Thanksgiving week. Up next is a stop at Florida Atlantic next Tuesday, set for a 6 p.m. CST tip.