Dec. 8, 2000
OMAHA-The UWM women's basketball team put up a good fight Friday night against Creighton before falling, 66-54, in Omaha, Neb. The Panthers drop to 1-4 on the season, while the Bluejays rise to 4-1.
"I thought we took a big step forward for our program," said UWM coach Sandy Botham. "With tonight's game, we definitely have improved on this season."
Freshman center Maria Viall came off the bench to score a double-double in 26 minutes of action. Viall recorded a team-high 15 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, both also coming as career highs. 11 of her points and 10 of her rebounds came in the first half alone.
"The bottom line is we have to have people put the ball in the basket. We missed lay-ups, we missed open shots," said Botham. "That will come with experience, as we have some young players out on the court."
UWM shot 35 percent on 9-of-28 field goal attempts, but were 50 percent from behind the arc on 4-of-6 shooting. Creighton shot 38 percent from the field and 31 percent from the three-point line. The Panthers outrebounded the Jays, 40-39.
"Our defense played strong. We played a very high-powered team, and held them below their average. Against Buffalo, we didn't show the character that we showed tonight. And that is a great improvement that we have made."
UWM led for most of the first half, but Creighton took over with eight minutes remaining to make it 17-15. Behind by seven points with under three minutes left, UWM finished strong to end the half on a 9-4 run. Sophomore Angie Wenzel swished a long jumper to trail 29-24. After CU made one free throw, junior Ali Klaas converted two of her own to come within four points. The Panthers were fierce on defense, forcing a Bluejay turnover that led to a made three-pointer by Nicole Luchsinger. CU returned with a three, but Viall ended the half's scoring with a lay-up to go 33-31.
The second half opened slow in scoring, as both teams scored a combined six points in the first six and a half minutes. The points began falling, and UWM briefly grabbed the lead at 12:04 remaining on a three-point play. Junior Stefanie Kaufmann put in a jumper before being fouled, and converted her free throw to lead, 41-38. CU then went on a 12-1 run, and though challenged hard by the Panthers, never looked back.
UWM returns to action on Thursday, Dec.14, as they host Chicago State at the Klotsche Center Arena. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.
