Box Score |  Notes

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Dec. 13, 2007) - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team shot just 35.4 percent from the field and Lindsay Whorton scored 18 points to lead Drake to a 63-53 win over the Panthers Thursday night at the Klotsche Center.

UWM (3-5) also hit on just 4-of-21 three-point attempts after entering the game 12th in the nation in three-point shooting (39.4 percent).

"We just didn't shoot well," Milwaukee head coach Sandy Botham said. "I felt good going in because we've been shooting the ball extremely well, but we just couldn't get a rhythm going out on the perimeter. They were doubling down. Obviously disappointing to lose on our home court, but we're still growing."

Junior Traci Edwards led Milwaukee with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds, despite getting just four shot attempts in the game. Drake double-teamed the Panthers' leading scorer, but sent her to the free throw line 12 times, where she hit nine attempts.

"They were doubling right away. I didn't even have to be squaring up and they were right there when I caught the ball," Edwards said. "It happens sometimes when you kick it out to open shooters and they just aren't hitting them. If we were hitting them like we have been, it's a totally different game."

Senior Aubri Rote added seven points despite a 3-for-13 shooting night. She was eighth in the nation in three-point shooting at 50 percent, but made just 1-of-8 from beyond the arc. Sophomore Jodie McClain and freshman Jineen Williams also scored seven points apiece.

Whorton was joined in double-figures by Jordann Plummer with 16 points and Jill Martin with 12.

Milwaukee never led in the game, but fought to within two early in the second half after trailing by as many as 12. The Panthers went into halftime trailing 29-23 and scored six of the first eight points of the second half to make it 31-29 with 16:47 to play.

Drake responded with seven-straight points and pushed its lead above 10 on a three-pointer by Kelsey Keizer at 41-31. UWM trailed by as many as 15 down the stretch and could get no closer than eight the rest of the way.

The Panthers' offense struggled, as they missed the first nine shots of the game and converted just 17 of 48 field goal attempts in the game. They also lost the battle on the boards, 36-28, but forced 15 Bulldog turnovers. UWM's offensive bright spot was a season-low 14 turnovers and a 15-of-21 performance from the free throw line.

"I thought we did a good job of taking care of the ball--better than we have done in the past. That's been an area we really struggled with and in the first half we had five turnovers. That's a silver lining," Botham said. "We also got to the free throw line. Games like this you have to generate offense off defense and generate offense off offensive boards. That was an area where we did not do as well."

Drake shot 43.8 percent for the game, including 7-of-19 on three-pointers.

Neither team prospered in the opening minutes of the game, as the Bulldogs missed their first five shots as well before scoring the first six points of the game. Edwards hit the Panthers' first field goal of the game, a three-pointer that made it 8-4.

Milwaukee started scoring and made it 15-10, before another Drake run make it a 21-10 game with 8:18 to play in the half. The Bulldogs pushed their lead to 24-12, but UWM responded with a 6-0 run to keep things close. Drake would eventually go into intermission with a six-point advantage.

UWM struggled to find a rhythm throughout the first half, shooting 29.6 percent, but protecting the ball to the tune of just five turnovers.

"We just couldn't get any rhythm going and that's an area that we have been so strong in," Botham said. "They were leaving our best shooter open. They were doubling off Aubri Rote, the one person we want throwing the threes up is Aubri. We couldn't have asked for any better looks from the perimeter."

The Panthers have a week off before returning to action by hosting North Dakota State Dec. 20. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Klotsche Center.