Jan. 23, 2002
MILWAUKEE - UWM (13-5, 7-0 Horizon) spread the ball around to pick up an easy 70-39 win over Butler (1-17, 0-8 Horizon) Wednesday night at the Klotsche Center. The Panthers coasted to their ninth-straight victory and their 21st at home against league opponents.
UWM led by 21 points at halftime after shooting 60.6 percent from the field and were able to rest its starters for most of the second half. The Panthers play at Green Bay on Saturday for a first-place showdown, with both teams boasting identical records.
Facing the last-place Bulldogs didn't pose much of a threat for the streaking Panthers, who beat them by 32 points in their previous match-up earlier in the month. But UWM coach Sandy Botham didn't want her team to take anything for granted.
"These are the games you always worry about for a let down," Botham said. "But I thought we came out and shot really well, and Butler just fell. They are a young team that hasn't really won, so they don't a lot of confidence. But I'm proud of our team keeping them out of the game."
Jessica Wilhite led Milwaukee with 13 points and Maria Viall and Holly Tamm both added 10. Tamm also dished out eight assists on the game, including seven in the first half, to tie a career high in just 22 minutes of action.
"I can get the ball there, but it's up to them to put it in," Tamm said of finding open teammates with a pass. "And they do a great job of getting it in."
UWM led 23-15 in the first half before sprinting away on a 15-0 run. Viall scored eight of her points during that run to lead the Panthers to the 44-23 edge at the half. A 16-4 fun opened the second half to give UWM the 60-27 lead with 10 minutes remaining. The Panthers' bench came in for the rest of the game to keep the team ahead with a 31-point margin to finish.
Milwaukee's defense forced 31 turnovers and recorded a season-high 18 steals. The Panthers made 21 assists all together, but committed 19 turnovers. They finished shooting 49.1 percent from the field, including 6-of-15 from the arc.
"Everyone's mind is thinking about Saturday (against Green Bay), but that's the kiss of death," Tamm said. "We set goals for today's game, like keeping (Butler) under 50 points and to outscore them in the second half. We did both of those things, so we definitely kept the focus and didn't take anything for granted."
The dominant Panthers were able to rest a lot of their players after building an early, sizable lead. Green Bay will have four days off entering the game Saturday after last playing Monday night. The Phoenix beat Youngstown State, 76-48, at home.
"Getting our starters rest for Saturday's game was important because Green Bay will have had more time off," Botham said. "They have a lot of depth, and its going to be night and day compared to tonight's game. They'll come out fighting hard, so I'm anxious to see how we'll react to it."
Tip-off begins at 3 p.m. at the Phoenix Sports Center in Green Bay, Wis. The Panthers will be looking for their 10th-straight win, while the Phoenix will be looking to grab their eighth straight.
