MILWAUKEE - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team played the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay basket-for-basket in the second half, but could not overcome a double-figure halftime deficit in falling, 74-62, Wednesday night at the Kress Center.
 
The Panthers (10-20) hung around and never let the Phoenix (26-4) rest, but every time Milwaukee would trim the lead down to single-digits, Green Bay would respond to earn the victory in the quarterfinal round of the Horizon League Tournament.
 
"That's the mark of Green Bay, they are an amazing team," Milwaukee head coach Kyle Rechlicz said. "They are obviously the best team in our league with the way they finished out. And the mark of our team is that we don't quit and that we will fight to the finish no matter what. I couldn't be more proud of this group. I told them in the locker room that I wouldn't trade any single one of them for another player in the country. We changed the culture of Milwaukee basketball and I know as the years go on, we will be in more situations like this where we will be victorious."
 
UWM had four players in double-figures, led by a pair of seniors playing what turned out to be their final games in a Panther uniform. Ashley Green recorded her 17^th career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds and Macie Dorow netted 12, just off her career high of 14.
 
"Macie played her heart out, especially in the second half," Rechlicz said. "She wanted that game so badly, as did Ashley, and we just needed to hit a few more shots during that run."
 
A pair of freshman also finished in double-figures, a strong sign for the future. Steph Kostowicz had 11 points, nine rebounds and four blocks and Jenny Lindner added 10 points and five boards.
 
Kaili Lukan scored a game-high 24 points to lead the charge for Green Bay. Mehryn Kraker added a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds. The victory for the Phoenix extended its winning streak to nine games in a row and makes it 17 of 18 overall.
 
"I thought that our team was really locked into the game plan but that Kaili Lukan really stepped up for them and played some amazing minutes," Rechlicz said. "She is somebody that we made a focal point. When you have a couple of players like that, they become very difficult to defend."
 
GB led by as many as 15 early in the second half at 40-25, but an 11-4 spurt by UWM got it back under double-figures at 44-36 on a Dorow three with 15:13 to play.
 
Every time Milwaukee gets within striking distance, the Phoenix pushed back. A Sam Terry three at end of shot clock hurt the effort, making it 58-47 with just under 10 remaining. Dorow's jumper at the six-minute mark had UWM back within nine, but that is as close as it would get the rest of the way.
 
The Panthers trailed 36-23 at intermission, hampered by cold shooting and no made three's on eight attempts.
 
An early 12-2 run gave Green Bay its first advantage of the day after Milwaukee led early, giving the Phoenix the 14-6 lead when the Panthers hit a cold stretch from the floor.
 
Milwaukee battled right back and Kostowicz's layup capped six in a row and made it a one-possession game at the 9:12 mark with the score 14-12.
 
The Phoenix quieted that spurt with a run of its own. The 17-time league champs scored five straight and used a 10-2 to take its first double-digit advantage of the day at 24-14.
 
The result ends the playing careers of the three UWM seniors in Green, Dorow and Hannah Kaul.
 
Green leaves with her name all over the record book, finishing fourth with 1,653 points and third all-time in most other career categories – with 119 games played, 111 starts, 605 field goals made, 1398 field goals attempted, 3781 minutes played – and fourth in scoring average (13.9) and rebounds (781).
 
"The first thing I did when I went in the locker room [after the game] was write 'Legacy' on the board," Rechlicz said. "We talked a lot about what it means. It's not always about winning and losing. Our seniors have a legacy of teaching what Milwaukee Basketball is going to be for the future. My first two years here was a struggle to get to that point. We finally had a group that locked in and said 'we are going to believe' in what we were trying to do and that group is going to be remembered for years to come. They changed the culture. The younger players know what it takes to fight and believe in a family system."