Box Score |  Notes

VALPARAISO, Ind. (Jan. 17, 2008) - Senior Aubri Rote scored a career-high 21 points to lead the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team to a 68-62 win over Valparaiso Thursday night at the ARC.

The Panthers (9-7, 4-1 Horizon) won for the fourth-straight time and picked up the 500th win in program history. UWM is now 500-425 in its 37th year of existence.

"It's great (to get 500 wins). This program has been around a lot longer than I have, so we're just doing our part," Milwaukee head coach Sandy Botham said. "It's special to get it on the road here at Valparaiso--we knew we had our work cut out. Them being undefeated at home thus far this season, we knew it would not be an easy task. To get the 500th on the road is nice."

Rote hit five 3-pointers to lead Milwaukee, while three more players found their way into double-digits. Junior Traci Edwards had 14 points, nine rebounds and four assists, despite hitting an uncharacteristic 4-of-10 from the field.

"We knew that they would be coming (at Traci) with doubles, and in this case triple teams, so she didn't get a lot of great looks at the hoop. I thought she did a great job of finding others," Botham said. "She forced a little bit and had some turnovers in the first half, but I thought she did a better job in the second half. For her to get that kind of attention is going to open things up for Aubri Rote and Maurika Hickman."

Junior Turquoise McCain had 12 points, four rebounds and four assists, while freshman Maurika Hickman tallied 10 first-half points for UWM.

The Crusaders (7-8, 2-2 Horizon) saw their 11-game home winning streak come to an end. Four players reached double-digits for Valparaiso, led by Aimee Litka's 17 points. Agnieska Kulaga scored 15 points, Sarah Ott 14 and Launa Hochstetler 12 for the home team.

Milwaukee led for nearly the entire game, fending off the Crusaders throughout the second half. Valpo scored the first four points of the second half to trim UWM's 40-31 lead to just five. The Panthers then scored eight-straight points for a game-high 13-point lead at 48-35 less than five minutes into the frame.

The rest of the half was much of the same. The Crusaders kept trying to fight back into the game, pulling as close as four, but each time they got within two possessions Milwaukee re-took control of the game.

UWM shot 47.2 percent from the field for the game and finished a healthy 8-for-20 (40 percent) from three-point range. The Panthers also had a commanding 41-27 rebounding advantage. The Milwaukee offense struggled at times, turning the ball over 26 times.

The Crusaders entered the night sixth in NCAA Division I in three-point percentage and ninth in threes per game, but struggled from behind the arc, hitting just four of their 18 attempts for a 22.2 percent clip. Valpo was also held to just 38.7 percent shooting from the field, but hit on 10-of-13 free throw attempts, including its first nine tries.

"To come in here and beat Valparaiso on their home court is not an easy task. I'm proud of our players' efforts and their attention to detail defensively," Botham said. "To hold this kind of a shooting team to 22 percent from the three-point line and 38 for the game was the difference. We knew they would not go away, they made great runs, but I'm proud of how our players responded and got it a little bit from everybody."

Milwaukee came out of the gates firing and, after falling down 6-3 early, rattled off a 14-2 run to take control of the game with a 17-8 lead. Valpo would fight within three after a Kulaga converted an old fashion three-point play to make it 30-27. The Panthers then closed the half on 10-2 run to head into intermission with a nine-point lead at 40-31.

UWM shot an even 50 percent in the half, including 5-for-10 from beyond the arc. The Panthers were strong defensively, holding the normally sharp-shooting Crusaders to just 28.6 percent from three-point range as part of a 34.5 percent effort from the field. Valpo stayed close by hitting all nine first-half free throw attempts.

Both teams reached double-digits in first-half turnovers with Milwaukee turning the ball over 11 times and the Crusaders 10.

The Panthers continue their road trip through Indiana, playing at Butler Saturday in Indianapolis. UWM and the Bulldogs tip off at 1 p.m. central time.