Dec. 7, 2002

MANHATTAN, KAN - Maria Viall scored a game-high 26 points and grabbed a game-best 11 rebounds to lead the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team to a tense 62-60 win over Middle Tennessee State University here Saturday (Dec. 7). UWM's Jessica Wilhite hit two free throws with :04.1 seconds remaining in the game to break a 60-60 tie and lead the Panthers to a third place finish in the Commerce Bank/Kansas State Classic. MTSU's Patrice Holmes, who tied the game with back-to-back three pointers in the last 25 seconds, missed a last second desperation three at the buzzer. With the win Milwaukee improves to 3-4 on the year while the Lady Raiders fell to 2-3.

"The kids showed a lot of character today," UWM head coach Sandy Botham said. "We learned from yesterday and we really played together today. We were so much more patient offensively and we showed great composure down the stretch. It was a very nice win."

Middle Tennessee jumped ahead early in the game, grabbing a 12-6 lead on a Keisha McClinic jumper at the 14:08 mark of the first half. UWM then grabbed its first lead of the game thanks to a 9-2 run, capped by a Anne Witte baseline three with 10:11 left in the first half. Milwaukee scored the next seven points to grab a 22-14 lead before MTSU made another run to tie the game at 26 with 2:27 remaining in the first stanza. Viall, who had 13 points and 10 boards in the first half, scored twice during another UWM stretch to give the Panthers a five point lead, 34-29, at the half.

Milwaukee briefly took control of the game in the opening moments of the second half, scoring the first eight points to grab a 42-29 lead at the 17:27 mark on another Viall layup. The athletic Raiders then increased the pressure defensively and closed the lead with numerous buckets in transition. MTSU scored eighteen of the next 24 points to cut the UWM lead to one, 48-47, with 9:10 remaining in the game.

Wilhite nailed a huge three pointer on UWM's next possession to push the lead back to four. The two teams traded baskets for the rest of the half before an Anne Witte jumper with the shot clock winding down pushed the Panther lead to 57-51 at the 1:50 mark. A Viall free throw with 30 seconds remaining gave Milwaukee a 60-54 cushion before Holmes made things very interesting. The sophomore nailed a trifecta with 23 seconds left to cut the lead to three. Following a UWM turnover on the inbounds play, Holmes connected again, this time tying the game with 13 seconds remaining.

Milwaukee gave the ball to Wilhite who then drove the lenght of the court looking for the game winning bucket. The senior, who's jumper with four seconds remaining grazed the rim, was fouled on the shot by MTSU senior Paula Penttila. Wilhite calmly sank both free throws and the UWM defense held on for the 62-60 win as Holmes' desperation three clanged off the backboard.

"It was a game of runs and fortunately we got the last two points," Botham added. "Maria really stepped up today and she wanted the ball down the stretch. Jess' two free throws were huge as well. That is what you expect your senior leader to do at the end of games and she did just that."

Milwaukee will continue its six-day road trip by travelling to Nashville, Tenn. for its fourth game in seven days. The Panthers will face No. 8 Vanderbilt University in a 7 p.m. contest on Tuesday (Dec. 10).