Feb. 5, 2004

Box Score

MILWAUKEE - A 9-2 run to end the first half helped propel the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to a 13-point halftime lead en route to a 61-47 victory over Wright State University in Horizon League women's basketball action here Thursday (Feb. 5). Milwaukee never led by less than 11 points in the second half while clinching its third straight win of the season. The Panthers move back to .500 on the season with a 10-10 mark overall and 7-3 record in the league. With the loss, Wright State falls to 6-14 overall and 3-7 in league action.

WSU started off the game well and made a statement very early as two Catherine Portyrata buckets and an Angie Ott triple gave the visitors a 7-4 lead at the 16:39 mark. However, the cushion was shorlived as an 11-0 UWM run, keyed by six Maria Viall points, put the Panthers ahead, 15-7. Viall continued to dominate the game and scored the next six Milwaukee points for a 21-13 cushion with 8:01 in the half. Viall, who scored 16 first half points, nailed a layup to give UWM a ten-point lead with 1:17 remaining. Milwaukee pushed the bulge to 13, 30-17 at the break when Molly O'Brien caught an airball rebound and passed to a wide open Anne Witte, all in one motion. Witte then drilled a three-ball at the top of the key as the buzzer sounded to give the Panthers the momentum heading to the locker room.

Milwaukee connected on 40.7% of its shots in the first half while holding the Raiders to 29.6% shooting. Both teams struggled to handle the ball, combining for 28 turnovers, 15 coming from the Panthers. The UWM zone defense frustrated WSU as its top two scorers, Brittany Whiteside and Iesha Gray, were held scoreless in the frame.

The two teams traded buckets to begin the second half before a mini 5-0 run pushed the Panther lead to 18, 42-24, thanks to back-to-back three-balls from Kerri St. Aubin and Kiley Johnson. Wright State was able to cut the lead to 13 after the next two possessions but two Viall free throws and three-pointers from Johnson and Nichole Drummond pushed the bulge to 54-33 with 8:21 remaining.

Viall, who scored a game-best 22 points on the night, sat out the rest of the frame as head coach Sandy Botham subbed freely the remainder of the game. Johnson was the only other Panther to reach double figures as she scored 11 on the power of three, three-pointers. O'Brien played an impressive floor game en route to game-highs in rebounds (eight) and assists (six). Ott led WSU with 14 points while Whiteside finished with 12, all in the second half.

Milwaukee will look to extend its season-best winning streak to four on Saturday (Feb. 7) when it heads to Detroit. The Panthers, who at 7-3 are in fourth place in the league but just one game off the lead, will face the University of Detroit-Mercy who is currently tied for first with an 8-2 league mark and 11-9 record overall. Game time is set for 12:30 p.m. CST at Calihan Hall.