Box Score |  Notes

CHICAGO, Ill. (March 1, 2007) - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team tied a school record with 59 points in the second half in overcoming an 18-point deficit and defeating the University of Illinois at Chicago, 89-83, Thursday night in Chicago.

The Panthers (13-15, 9-6 Horizon) overcame a 13-point halftime deficit and trailed by as many as 18 in the first half. UWM outscored the Flames (18-10, 11-4 Horizon), 59-40, after the break to pull out the victory, which was No. 200 of head coach Sandy Botham's coaching career.

"At halftime we told our players that they weren't playing to their potential, passing up open shots and not knocking down the shots they took," Botham said. "You can't have a successful inside-outside game when you don't make shots. They were doubling Traci (Edwards) and (in the second half) we took advantage of the open looks that gave us."

UIC also saw its 11-game winning streak come to an end, as it lost for the first time since Jan. 6.

Six players reached double-figures for UWM, led by Traci Edwards' 22 points. Senior Aubrey Hampton scored 15 and junior Aubri Rote 14 as the pair combined for 10-of-11 shooting and 8-of-8 on three-pointers. Junior Meredith Onson also tallied 13 points, sophomore Jody Crumble 11 and sophomore Turquoise McCain 10.

"We've struggled knocking down open shots in our losses," Botham said. "I think the biggest change came when we put Aubri (Rote) at the four spot. It was the key in opening things up. When you have an inside presence like Traci, you need to be able to hit those perimeter shots and we did that today, especially in the second half."

LaShonda Grant scored a game-high 23 points for UIC and was joined over the 20-point mark by Jacquay Holmes with 21. Jessie Miller added 14 points and Kelly True scored the first nine points of the game for the Flames and finished there.

Milwaukee shot 66.7 percent in the second half, including 8-for-13 on three-point attempts (61.5%), and finished at 49.1 percent for the game. The team finished with 11 three's including a combined 8-for-8 effort from Hampton and Rote. The Panthers won the rebounding battle, 37-36, and had 20 assists compared to just 13 turnovers, including just five miscues in the second half.

The Panthers also had a commanding 24-of-29 (82.8%) performance from the free throw line, compared to 13-of-19 (68.4%) by the Flames.

UIC shot 60 percent in the first half, but saw its shooting clip drop to 33.3 percent after intermission for a final 44.9 shooting percentage. The home team also had 24 assists and just 12 turnovers.

Four Panthers reached double figures in the second half, alone, and had a 15-to-5 assist-to-turnover ratio in the period.

Botham picked up win number 178 at UWM and the 200th of her career. She is second in school history in career wins.

"It's great to get (my 200th win), especially like this," Botham said. "What a memorable way to get No. 200, coming back from 18 points down. I appreciate the players' efforts tonight in making this one of the most memorable games of my career."

UIC used two 15-4 runs in the first half to break open a close game early. The first run came after sophomore Katie Fournier knotted the game at nine with a put-back at the 15:59 mark of the first half. When the run came to an end, the Flames had built a 24:13 lead with 9:37 to play.

Their second run came in a nearly four-minute stretch where UWM did not make a field goal late in the period. Holmes capped the run with a three at the 3:23 mark for a 41-23 lead. Milwaukee finished the half on a 7-2 run of its own to pull within 12 at the break.

The Panthers close out their regular season Saturday at Loyola. UWM and the Ramblers tip off at 3 p.m.