March 4, 2004

Box Score | Quotes

MILWAUKEE - Maria Viall scored a game-high 22 points and tied a single-game tournament record with 19 rebounds to lead the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to a 72-59 victory over the University of Illinois-Chicago in the quarterfinals of the 2004 Horizon League Tournament here Thursday (March 4). UWM, the No. 2 seed, improves to 17-11 on the season while advancing to the league semifinals for the first time in three years. With the loss, UIC's season ends with a 12-16 record. The victory allows Milwaukee to host both semifinal games on Sunday (March 7) and Monday's (March 8) title game.

Milwaukee controlled the flow of the game from the outset, as the visiting Flames held just two leads, the last one a 5-4 edge with 16:32 remaining in the first half. However, two Kiley Johnson three pointers keyed a 15-4 Panther run, giving the hosts a 19-9 lead with 11:29 to play in the half. Milwaukee increased the lead to 14, 33-19, on an Anne Witte three-ball with 5:27 on the clock. UIC could get no closer than 10 the rest of the half as the hosts cruised to a 38-25 halftime edge.

UWM shot 48.1% from the floor in the first half as Viall led all players with 12 points and 11 rebounds. UIC shot just 32.3% in the first half while getting outrebounded 24-13. Milwaukee drilled eight-of-nine free throws in the half to go with eight assists and four steals.

The second half proved to be much like the first as the Panthers kept the Flames at bay for the final 20 minutes. UIC made a few surges throughout the half but could never get any closer than eight points, 44-36, the entire second half. Milwaukee led by as much as 18 points on three different occasions in the second half before coasting to the 13-point win.

In addition to Viall's big night, sophomore Nichole Drummond scored 14 points, 12 of which came in the second half. Molly O'Brien played an excellent floor game, grabbing nine rebounds to go with six points, five assists and four steals. Krystal Hugelier led UIC with 14 points while Dejeanette Flournoy added 12 points and seven boards.

Milwaukee will play No. 3 seed Detroit at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. The Titans advanced to the semifinals with a 74-62 win over Loyola on Thursday. Sunday's second semifinal contest will pit No. 1 seed UW-Green Bay versus No. 6 seed Butler and is set to begin at 4:30 p.m. UWGB got by No. 8 seed Wright State 61-57 in the quarterfinals while Butler upset No. 3 Cleveland State, 69-59. The two semifinal winners will advance to Monday's championship game, scheduled for 6:00 p.m. The league champion received the league's automatic berth into the 2004 NCAA Tournament.