Feb. 12, 2004

Box Score

MILWAUKEE - Maria Viall scored 23 points and grabbed 18 rebounds to lead three players in double figures as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team cruised to an 87-67 win over Indiana University-Purdue University-Ft. Wayne here Thursday (Feb. 12). The Panthers set a school record with 63 rebounds in the game while outboarding the visitors by 30. The victory was the fifth straight for UWM, which improves to 12-10. With the loss, IPFW falls to 7-16 on the season.

The two teams traded punches in the early part of the fast paced game. IPFW jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead on a pair of Amy Gearlds layups before Milwaukee quickly tied it up. The two teams traded buckets to make it 10-10 before the Panthers went on what proved to be a decisive 12-0 run. Viall, who had 18 points and 13 rebounds at the half, scored 10 of the 12 points during the stretch. IPFW quickly scored nine of the next 11 points to get back to within five, 24-19, at the 10:15 mark in the half.

That run would be the last major push by the Mastodons as the Panthers surged ahead to finish the half with the 46-32 lead. The 46 points marked the second most scored in a half by the Panthers this season, trailing the 47 scored in the first half at Florida State. Nichole Drummond added 10 points at the break as UWM outrebounded IPFW 32-13 in the first 20 minutes.

The pace remained high in the early part of the second half as IPFW continued to hang around. After an initial UWM run the Mastodons got back with 14 on last time, 55-41, on a Jenny Green jumper with 15:38 remaining. The push was shortlived, however, as a Kiley Johnson three-ball and jumpers by Anne Witte and Drummond, sandwiched in between a IPFW free throw, made it 62-42 with 12:43 to play.

The lead grew as much as 27, 77-50, on a Witte free throw with 5:27 to play as the Panthers were well on their way to their fifth consecutive victory. The five-game winning streak marks the longest UWM winning streak since the 2001-02 team won seven in a row from Jan. 31 through Feb. 21. Furthermore, the 87 points are the most by a Panther team since an 89-73 win at Cleveland State on Jan. 4, 2003. Lastly, the 63 rebounds breaks the old school-record of 60 boards set Jan. 22, 1991 versus Northeastern Illinois and equaled on Dec. 2, 1995 versus Indiana State.

In addition to her 23 points and 18 caroms, Viall added two assists and two steals while hitting eight-of-14 shots from the floor and seven-of-eight from the free throw line. Drummond added 16 points, six rebounds and two blocks while Molly O'Brien chipped in with 10 points and five boards. Kimberly Becker narrowly missed a double-double as the junior finished with eight points, ten rebounds, and six assists. Gearlds led IPFW with 20 points despite shooting just 2-of-14 from three-point land.

Milwaukee will return to Horizon League play on Saturday (Feb. 14) when the first place Vikings of Cleveland State University come to town. The game is set to tipoff at 2:00 p.m. at the Klotsche Center.