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MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Feb. 10, 2007) -
Sophomore Traci Edwards scored 31 points and pulled down 16 rebounds, but UW-Green Bay had four players in double-figures as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team fell to the No. 24/25 Phoenix, 72-63, in front of a crowd of 1,912 Saturday afternoon at the Klotsche Center.
The Panthers (11-12, 7-3 Horizon) were within one as late as the 3:48 mark at 57-56, but UWGB (19-3, 10-0 Horizon) scored the game's next nine points and went a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line down the stretch for its 16th-straight win.
"We played poised, confident (basketball) today. We came out and executed our game plan," Milwaukee head coach Sandy Botham said. "The game came down to shots and they made theirs. I was pleased with the rebounding and I told (our team) after the game that I was pleased with how they played."
Edwards tied a school record with her fifth-straight game of at least 20 points and finished with her school-record third 30-point effort of the season. She also picked up her fourth double-double in five games, pulling down nine of her 16 boards on the offensive end.
Sophomore Jody Crumble added eight points, eight rebounds and three assists while senior Aubrey Hampton was the team's next highest scorer with six.
"Traci continues to get better. It has also been good to get Jody Crumble in a Panther uniform after she had to sit out after transferring--that's made a difference for us," Botham said. "Turqouise (McCain) was more of a presence for us than in the first meeting, as were Katie (Fournier) and Kim (Wypiszynski).
"Our youth played well, Traci and the rest of the young players. When we made our runs out there and came back, there were all sophomores on the floor."
Natalie Berglin finished with a team-high 15 points and nine assists for Green Bay, while Nicole Soulis added 13. Kayla Groh and Amanda Popp scored 10 points apiece.
Milwaukee shot 38.7 percent for the game, hitting just 4-of-16 three-pointers and shooting 68.8 percent from the free throw line. The Panthers also outrebounded UWGB by 25, 46-21, but committed 25 turnovers compared to 17 assists. The Phoenix hit on 46.2 percent of its shots from the field and was a perfect 16-of-16 from the free throw line. The visitors also came away with 14 steals and hit on eight 3-pointers.
Green Bay had a 12-1 run over the end of the first and start of the second half to build its lead to a game-high 10 at 43-33 just under three minutes into the second half. UWM responded with a 16-5 run to take a 49-48 lead. Edwards split a double team for a lay up and Hampton hit a long jumper just past the 12-minute mark of the frame to cap the comeback.
UWGB once again pulled away, before the Panthers fought back within one at 57-56. Green Bay then cemented its lead down the way hitting its final 10 free throw attempts for the final four minutes.
"Milwaukee showed a lot of heart," UWGB head coach Kevin Borseth said. "This is a tough place to play, and to win here is good. Sandy does a good job with her players. They see the rivalry and play hard."
UWM came out of the gates fast, scoring the first six points of the game and taking a 9-3 lead 3:07 into the game on a three-pointer by junior Meredith Onson. The Phoenix fought back with seven-straight points for a 10-9 lead. Both teams played back-and-forth like that for the remainder of the opening period with UWGB taking a 36-32 lead into halftime.
The Panthers return to action Thursday in the first half of a road trip to Northeast Ohio. UWM plays Cleveland State at 7 p.m. before taking on Youngstown State Saturday at 1 p.m.