Box Score |  Notes

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Nov. 7, 2005) - Wisconsin AAU erased a 14-point second-half deficit and Abby Garchek blocked Aubrey Hampton's jumper with one second remaining as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team dropped its exhibition finale, 71-70, Monday evening at the Klotsche Center.

Freshman Traci Edwards scored 19 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to lead Milwaukee. Senior Nichole Drummond led three more player in double figures with 15 points before fouling out with just under four minutes remaining. Kelly Schwerman scored 12 points to lead AAU, while Abby Garchek was the only other player in double figures with 10.

Wisconsin AAU trailed by as many as 14 points, but tied the game at 64-64 after Drummond fouled out. It then took its first lead since 2-0 on a layup by Bree Mahone with just over three minutes to go in the game. The Panthers grabbed its final lead of the game at 70-68, before DeeDee Pate sank a three-pointer with 41 seconds remaining to make it 71-70.

"When Nichole fouled out, it was a big loss for us," head coach Sandy Botham said. "She made plays for us on both offense and defense. Losing her late in a game is big and we need others to find a way to fill that role for us."

Milwaukee had four shot attempts in the final 17 seconds, but could not convert in falling to the AAU squad for the fifth-straight season. The five losses have been by a combined 16 points.

"We led the whole game, but let it slip away down the stretch," Botham said. "They hit big shots down the stretch and made the big plays they needed to make. We had great looks and couldn't knock them down. They had great looks and knocked them down."

The Panthers had built a 14-point lead as late as 11:42 remaining in the second half at 60-46, before AAU held them scoreless over the next 5:45 on its way to a 13-0 run and 60-59 score. A pair of free throws by Meredith Onson pushed UWM's lead to five at 64-59, but the AAU squad took over down the stretch.

For the game, Milwaukee shot 37.9 percent from the field, 33.3 percent on 18 three-point tries and grabbed a sizable 50-36-rebound advantage. Meanwhile, Wisconsin AAU shot 50 percent in the second half, to make up for a slow start and finish at 40 percent for the game. AAU also hit on 55.6 percent (10-18) of its three-point attempts.

It was a night of runs for both teams, as UWM started slow, but rattled off 11-straight points to open its scoring and grab an 11-2 lead. Onson hit a three-pointer and Edwards scored six-straight points to key the early run that began with the Panthers making just one of their first six shots.

"Traci made some big plays for us when we needed them. She made some big buckets for us," Botham said. "Traci is getting great experience as we learn who will make up our rotation. We are still learning who our top eight or nine players are and in these games we are getting the younger players as much experience as we can."

A 7-0 run late in the half gave Milwaukee a 14-point lead at 32-18, but a 13-1 stretch by AAU cut the Panthers' lead to 35-33 just seconds before halftime. Hampton took a pass from Kiley Johnson and sank a three-pointer with five seconds to go, giving UWM a 38-33 halftime lead.

Milwaukee opens its regular season Friday at Oklahoma as part of the Preseason WNIT. The Panthers and nationally-ranked Sooners tip off at 7 p.m. in Norman, Okla.