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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Feb. 11, 2006) - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team shot 60 percent from the field and had two 20-point scorers, as it defeated Butler, 74-62, Saturday afternoon in Indianapolis.

Freshman Traci Edwards led the Panthers (14-8, 9-2 Horizon League) with 23 points, while senior Nichole Drummond was close behind with 22 on a school-record 10-of-11 shooting (.909). Cassie Freeman led three players in double figures for the Bulldogs (12-11, 7-5 Horizon League) with 12.

"Nichole has been such a leader for us in so many different ways," Botham said. "We were able to get her on the block more and that has just elevated her game. Traci was the force we needed down the stretch."

The 60 percent shooting was UWM's best output since a school-record 61.5-percent performance against Wright State, Feb. 27, 2003. The Panthers also had 18 assists, compared to 15 turnovers, and outrebounded their hosts 34-20. Butler, meanwhile, shot 46 percent for the game, but stayed close with 10-of-12 shooting from the free throw line.

Milwaukee brought a 35-31 lead out of halftime and built it to eight points at 41-34 less than three minutes into the frame. Both squads hit layups to start the second half, but Drummond followed that up with a layup of her own and sophomore Meredith Onson hit a jumper.

Both teams battled for much of the half, with Butler pulling within one on a number of occasions. The Panthers kept them at bay with a pair of 6-0 runs late, the second giving them their largest lead of the game at that point at 70-59. Edwards hit a pair of layups and junior Aubrey Hampton hit one of her own for UWM's 11-point advantage with 1:52 to play.

Freeman then hit a three for Butler with 97 seconds remaining, but Edwards and Drummond answered with quick buckets to provide for the final score.

Onson finished with a team season-high nine assists, while Hampton added seven points, sophomore Aubri Rote six and senior Molly O'Brien with six and nine boards also had big nights for Milwaukee.

"We got the ball to the players that were having the big nights, but other people stepped up and hit big shots when we needed them and gave us some production," Botham said. "I though Rote in the first half, when we didn't have our rhythm gave us some big buckets when we needed them."

Butler led early and for most of the first half, by as many as six, before the Panthers started to claw back late in the period. Freeman hit a three to make it 23-19 with 6:21 to play. Hampton answered with a three and, after an Lade Akande layup, UWM scored eight-straight points for a five-point lead at 30-25 with less than two minutes before the half.

O'Brien hit a layup and Rote followed with a jumper. Hampton then came up with a steal and took it all the way for a layup and Edwards capped the run with a layup of her own. The Bulldogs pulled within two with 6.1 remaining, but Onson found Edwards under the basket with time expiring to make it 35-31 at the break.

UWM returns home for its third game in five days, hosting first-place UW-Green Bay Monday at the Klotsche Center. The Panthers and Phoenix tip off at 7 p.m.