Box Score |  Notes

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Feb. 1, 2007) - Sophomore Traci Edwards had 23 points and 10 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season and classmate Emily Markert added 15 points to lead the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team to a 63-54 win over Detroit Thursday night at the Klotsche Center.

The Panthers (11-11, 7-2 Horizon) returned to .500 on the year despite playing without any upperclassmen. All six juniors and seniors were held out of action tonight for team rule infractions.

"I thought (our underclassmen) played extremely well, it was fun to watch," Milwaukee head coach Sandy Botham said. "When they opened up the game a little and get some easy baskets, it was fun to watch."

Edwards led the way with her fourth-straight game of 20-or-more points, tying the second-longest streak in school history, and added two blocks and two steals. Markert came off the bench for her second-highest scoring game of the season, dishing out three assists and also blocking two shots.

"I really wasn't any more offensive-minded," Edwards said of the absence of upperclassmen. "I didn't shoot a lot in the first half. I started to shoot more after Coach Botham told me I was passing out of the post too much."

Sophomore Katie Fournier pulled down a career-high 10 boards and sophomore Jody Crumble had six points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals in her first start of the season and first game in her hometown since joining the Panthers.

Joyce Massey scored 17 points off the bench to lead the Titans (4-18, 1-8 Horizon), who lost for the sixth-straight time. Sandi Brown finished with 14 and India Bruster had 12 points, 15 rebounds and five blocked shots.

Neither team shot particularly well, with UWM hitting on 36.4 percent from the field, including just 2-of-8 on three-point attempts. The Panthers did commit just 14 turnovers, had 15 assists and held a 52-47 rebounding advantage. Detroit finished with just a 28.6 percent shooting clip and had just six assists compared to 15 miscues. The Titans also fell just one block short of a Milwaukee opponent record with 11 for the game.

The Panthers used a 22-7 run early in the second half to break open a 30-29 game three minutes into the second half. After Detroit closed UWM's 26-21 halftime lead to one, Milwaukee went on an 11-1 run, including six points by Edwards, to push their lead above 10 for the first time.

Back-to-back UDM baskets brought the game within seven at 41-34 at the 12:47 mark, and then the Panthers rattled off eight-straight points. And, after a Bruster put-back, Markert hit a three to give Milwaukee a game-high 16-point lead at 52-36.

Detroit hit the next three field goals of the game and UWM answered in kind to re-take a 16-point at 58-42 inside the final five minutes of the game. The Titans closed within nine down the stretch on a three-pointer with 22 seconds remaining.

Milwaukee rebounded from shooting just 27.5 in the first half to hit on 50 percent of its shots after halftime. UWM did commit just four turnovers in the first half in attempting 40 shots for the frame.

The Titans, meanwhile, were held to 20.6 percent shooting in the first half as the Panthers were able to build a nine-point advantage at 16-7 over the first 13:10 of the game. They pushed their lead to nine on two other occasions in the opening period--at 19-10 on a three-point play by Edwards and 26-17 in the final minute on back-to-back Edwards lay ups.

Jodie McClain led the freshman class in her first career start, finishing with career-highs of six points, six rebounds and four assists in 21 minutes. Maddy Kusilek had bests of three rebounds, two assists and a steal.

"I'm proud of our youth. Fifty seven percent of our offense comes from our sophomores anyway," Botham said. "But we mixed in a walk-on (Kusilek), Danae (Russell) got some time and Jodie Mac (McClain) had some good minutes for us."

The Panthers have eight days of rest before returning to action with a home game against UW-Green Bay Feb. 10.