Feb. 24, 2005

Box Score

MILWAUKEE - Kimberly Becker scored 14 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds but it wasn't enough as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee dropped a hard fought Horizon League women's basketball game 65-53 to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. With the victory UWGB (23-3, 14-1) clinched the league regular season championship and No. 1 seed in the upcoming league tournament. UWM fell to 14-12 overall and 11-4 in the league but remained in second place in the league standings.

"Obviously I'm disappointed because we just didn't get the job done tonight," UWM head coach Sandy Botham said. "Both teams have alot of balance offensively but they had quite a bit more of that than we did tonight. I think that was the difference in the game."

Milwaukee played well early on and led 7-5 at the 18:22 mark following five Becker points and a Molly O'Brien layup. UW-Green Bay raced back to a 10-7 lead but a Megan Rogers three-ball tied the game with 14:18 to play. The two teams traded baskets again but UWM went up again, 15-14, on a Teri Huff layup with 10:09 remaining in the half.

The UWM offense sputtered for the next five minutes as the Phoenix grabbed its biggest lead of the half, 27-18, on an Abby Scharlow jumpshot with 6:17 in the half. Milwaukee scored the next five points, keyed by a Kiley Johnson three-pointer in transition to make it 27-23 with just under four minutes remaining in the half. UWGB then ended the half on a 9-5 run to make it 36-28 at the break.

Both teams struggled offensively in the early part of the second half as UWM missed its first five shots from the floor and two from the free throw line. UWGB wasn't much better as it scored just once, a Mary Kulenkamp triple, to make it 39-28 Phoenix. UWGB grabbed a 12-point lead when Tiffany Mor scored with 15:07 to play but the Panthers battled back.

A Huff layup, an Anne Witte three, and another Huff layup capped a 7-0 UWM run to cut the lead to five, 44-39, with 11:21 left in the game. Another Huff basket with 10:10 to play made it 46-41. Milwaukee hung in there and cut it to six on a Becker three-pointer with 8:51 to play but UWGB's depth and patience on offense proved too much.

The Phoenix went on a 9-0 run over 3:36 late in the second half to make it a 59-44 game with 4:19 to play. UWM scored the next five points to get back to within 10 but the hosts held on for the 12-point victory. UWM shot 38.5% for the game and held UWGB to 40.4% shooting. The Panthers committed 23 turnovers and forced the Phoenix to a season-high 17 miscues but UWGB outscored the Panthers 15-5 from the free throw line on the night.

Becker added three assists, two steals, and two blocks to her double-double while Huff added 12 points and seven rebounds. Kiley Johnson also reached double-digits with 11 points and four assists. Scharlow and Mor scored 14 apiece to lead UWGB while Scharlow added seven boards, six assists, five steals, and two blocks.

UWM returns to the court Saturday (Feb. 26) when Youngstown State comes to Milwaukee. The Panthers and Penguins will faceoff at 2 p.m. on Senior Day.