Nov. 20, 2004

Box Score

MILWAUKEE, Wis. - Junior Nichole Drummond scored 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting, but it was not enough as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team fell to Marquette University, 74-66, Saturday afternoon at the Al McGuire Center. UWM had held an early 13-point advantage, but could not hold on, dropping the season opener for both teams.

"We knew it was going to be a dogfight coming in," head coach Sandy Botham said. "It was just that. But we showed some incredible signs today, and we just need to put two halves together."

Drummond was one of three Panthers in double figures as senior Teri Huff scored 14 points, while grabbing six rebounds, and senior Kimberly Becker scored 10 to go with a team-high eight boards.

After following behind by six early, at 6-0 and 8-2, the Panthers went on a 14-0 run to build its first lead of the day at 16-8. After three Marquette free throws, UWM went on another run, this time 9-1, to gain the day's biggest lead 25-12.

The Golden Eagles stormed back to pull within one point with less than a minute remaining in the opening frame, but a three-pointer by sophomore Megan Rogers put Milwaukee up 36-32 going into halftime.

UWM shot 42.1 percent for the half, including an efficient 7-for-13 (53.8%) on three-pointers. On defense, the Panthers held Marquette to 32.1 percent shooting, but were hurt at the free throw line. At the charity stripe, the Golden Eagles converted 13 of their 16 first half free throws, while Milwaukee attempted just four, making three.

Like the first half, the home team came out firing in the second period, using a 10-2 spurt to change a four-point deficit into a four-point lead at 42-38 before Botham called a timeout three minutes into the half. Back-to-back buckets by Huff knotted the game at 42-42, but UWM was unable to regain the lead until Drummond sank one of two free throws to put Milwaukee ahead 54-53.

"We came out slow in the second half," Botham said. "We didn't come out and do what we talked about."

It would be the last lead of the game for the Panthers, as a pair of Carolyn Krieger free throws 14 seconds later gave the Golden Eagles the lead for good. Marquette built a six-point lead on a Krieger three-point play with two minutes remaining, and that was as close as UWM would get.

"In the first half we used quickness to run around their size," Becker said. "In the second half, they caught up to us. We went up early, and got passive. We didn't have that killer instinct to put the game away."

Krieger finished with a game-high 18 points, while Christina Quaye finished with a double-double of 12 points, 11 board for the Golden Eagles, who shot almost 56 percent after halftime, to finish at 43.6 percent for the game. They also converted on 25-of-34 free throws, as Milwaukee went to the line just eight times on the day (6-8).

In the second half, the Panthers went 1-for-9 (11.1%) on three-point attempts to sharply contrast with their 53.8 percent first half average. Overall, UWM shot 42.6 percent on the day, including 36.4 percent from outside the arc.

"We are a team that lives and dies by the jump shot," Botham said. "When you shoot 53 percent in the first half (on three-point shots) and 11 in the second half, you are going to struggle."

Sophomore Kiley Johnson added eight points for Milwaukee, which has now lost to its cross-town rivals eight-straight times.

The Panthers return to action with their second consecutive Conference USA team, traveling to Chicago, Ill., on Tuesday for a game against No. 20 DePaul University. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.