Jan. 22, 2004

Box Score

MILWAUKEE - Nichole Drummond scored a team and career-high tying 17 points and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee placed three players in double figures en route to a 69-61 victory over Wright State University in Horizon League women's basketball action here Thursday (Jan. 22). The Panthers improved to 7-8 overall and 4-1 in league play while registering their first road win of the season in eight tries. With the loss, Wright State falls to 6-11 overall and 3-4 in league action.

Wright State had just one lead in the game, 2-0, before Milwaukee took things over. The Panthers scored the next 13 points over a 5:48 span to grab a 13-2 lead on a pair of Kimberly Becker free throws with 13:48 to play in the frame. The Panthers continued to control play and grabbed their biggest lead of the game, 26-11, on a Dana Schultz baseline ten-footer with 4:16 in the half. WSU eventually cut the lead to eight before Kerri St. Aubin drilled a half-court bomb at the first half buzzer to give UWM a 36-25 lead at the break.

Milwaukee hit 50.0% of its shots in the first half while dominating on the glass, 25-14. Eight UWM players scored in the first half as Drummond led the way with seven markers. The Raiders were able to stay in the game thanks to five first half steals and 14 UWM turnovers.

The two teams traded buckets to begin the second-half before another mini-run pushed the Panther lead to 44-29 with 16:58 left to play. Wright State continued to battle and eventually cut the lead to six, 55-49, when Brittany Whiteside scored a driving-layup with 7:30 remaining. The Raider push was shortlived, however, as UWM scored the next five points, capped off by an old-fashioned three-point play by Becker.

WSU cut the lead to nine, 64-55 with 3:34 to go but five points by Viall and Becker pushed the lead to 69-55 with 1:22 left. Milwaukee cleared its bench for the remainder of the game while WSU scored the last six points for the final eight-point margin.

Drummond added a season-high seven rebounds to go with her 17 points while Viall added 15 points and eight rebounds. Becker added 12 points and seven boards while Molly O'Brien chipped in with eight points, ten rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Jeanette Woodbury led WSU with 20 points while freshman backcourt mate Whiteside added 16 points, six assists, and seven steals.

The Panthers will look to run their road winning streatk to two when they travel to Indianapolis, Ind., on Saturday. The game versus Butler University is set to begin at 3:00 p.m. at Hinkle Fieldhouse.