Nov. 23, 2004

Box Score

CHICAGO, Ill. - Junior Molly O'Brien picked up her first career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while junior Nichole Drummond scored a team-high 18 points to lead the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team as it fell to No. 19 DePaul University, 89-67, Tuesday night in Chicago. With the result, the Panthers fall to 0-2 on the young season and the Blue Demons move to 3-0.

"I thought we held our own, in some respects," head coach Sandy Botham said. "We played very hard and gave them a good fight, but obviously it was not enough."

UWM had four players in double-digits, as senior Teri Huff had 13 points and senior Kimberly Becker chipped in 10, including a pair of three-pointers.

After falling behind 10-4 early, the Panthers fought back to take their only lead of the game at 11-10. Becker drained a three-pointer to start the 7-0 run. After a DePaul turnover, O'Brien hit a jumper and two possessions later Drummond nailed a jumper of her own to put UWM ahead. The Blue Demons pulled away after a pair of Drummond free throws knotted the game at 15-15. The home team benefited from a 13-2 run and had built a 52-35 advantage at the half.

"I thought our players came out on a mission to win and played with a lot of heart," Botham said. "Their athleticism and size just got the better of us."

In the first frame Milwaukee was outshot 44.4% to 35.5% as the two teams combined for 32 first-half turnovers. Drummond paced the Panthers in the first half, scoring 14 of her points, while Becker reached the 10-point mark before intermission as well.

UWM tried to hang with DePaul early in the second half, cutting its lead to 15 on several occasions, but could never inch closer, falling behind by as many as 26. For the game, the Panthers shot 39.7% from the field, including just 27.8% from three-point range. Milwaukee also turned the ball over 28 times and was out-rebounded 51-39. O'Brien did most of her damage after halftime, scoring 14 points and grabbing seven boards in the second half.

"We knew the key to the game was controlling the boards and taking care of the basketball," Botham said. "We just were not able to do either tonight, and that is where it was lopsided."

Khara Smith tallied game-highs of 23 points and 17 rebounds to lead DePaul, while Jenni Dant and Allie Quigley each added 18 points.

Milwaukee has a quick turn around, flying to Seattle, Wa. for the Seattle Times Classic (Nov. 26-27) on Wednesday. The Panthers kick off the tournament against the host University of Washington on Friday at 5 p.m. Based on the outcome of that game, UWM could face either Columbia University or the University of Alabama on Saturday.