Jan. 27, 2001

CHICAGO--Sophomore guard Jessica Wilhite scored a game-high 16 points to help the Panthers defeat the Ramblers, 70-55, Saturday afternoon at the Gentile Center. UWM (8-9, 4-1) won their second game in three days on the road in Chicago after the victory over UIC on Thursday night.

Leading by four with 14 minutes remaining in the second half, UWM went on a 10-2 run to explode to a 51-39 advantage. Guards Charlene Smith and Allison Klaas scored back-to-back layups, and Wilhite and Klaas put up consecutive tres to ignite the second half offense.

The Ramblers (8-11, 2-4) came back to trail by three baskets, but UWM senior Janelle Jonason scored consecutive layups to build the lead back up to ten with 6:35 left Loyola never got any closer than eight points and were forced to foul. The Panthers' final seven points came at the line to end with the 15-point advantage.

UWM shot well in the second half on 46.7 percent from the field, finishing with 40 percent overall. Loyola finished on 39 percent from the floor and were 3-of-17 from three-point range while UWM sank 6-of-16. Though the Ramblers outrebounded UWM, 40-38, the Panthers held a 15-17 assist-turnover ratio compared to LU's 17-27 ratio.

Klaas finished with 11 points for UWM while freshman reserve Maria Viall posted a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Loyola was led by guard Tracy Hoffmann's 13 points.

UWM grabbed its first lead of the game five minutes into the first half off a layup by Viall to go 8-6. The Ramblers stayed tight and regained the lead, but the Panthers snatched it back for the rest of the half when Luchsinger grabbed an offense board and put it back to lead, 13-12. UWM widened the gap to seven points after Kaufmann made both her free throws, Klaas sank a three, and sophomore guard Antoinette Gregory added two points from the line. Loyola ended the half on a 7-2 run, but Milwaukee still took the 31-28 advantage into the locker room at halftime.

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