Box Score |  Notes

Post-Game Audio
Sandy Botham | Traci Edwards

MADISON, Wis. (Dec. 2, 2008) - Senior Traci Edwards scored 30 points and became the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's all-time leading scorer, but it was not enough as the Panther women's basketball team dropped a heartbreaker, 71-69, to Wisconsin in two overtimes Tuesday evening at the Kohl Center.

The Panthers (3-3) overcame a 16-point second-half deficit to lead late in regulation, then four points to lead in the first overtime, but it was not enough against the Badgers (6-1), who were receiving votes in the AP national poll.

"The Big Ten Network got a great game out of this one," Milwaukee head coach Sandy Botham said. "I was really proud of our players' efforts and their no quit. These are the kinds of losses that, as much as you wish you could be in the `w' column, these are the kinds of losses you can live with. I felt like our players really fought and put themselves in a position to beat the Badgers on their homecourt."

Edwards surpassed Maria Viall's (2000-04) all-time scoring record of 1,867 with 30 points, but her biggest shot came to tie the game at 54-54 with 4.8 seconds to play. Her eighth career 30-point outing pushed her career point total to 1,882. She added 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season.

"It feels good," Edwards said. "It's a thing I'll look back and be proud of. I couldn't do it without my teammates getting me the ball. I'm a post, so I can't score without them."

Sophomore Jineen Williams picked up her first career double-double with a career-high 16 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Combined with Edwards, the duo had 46 points and 21 rebounds.

Mariah Dunham led the Badgers with 16 points. Three more players reached double-figures with Alyssa Karel and Tara Steinbauer scoring 11 points apiece and Jade Davis finishing with 10.

Wisconsin came out in the second overtime with the first six points, but the Panthers answered with four-straight points to make it 69-67. After 1-of-2 from the free throw line by UW, Williams grabbed a board and made a layup with 7.8 seconds to play. Dunham then hit 1-of-2 free throws, with Williams getting another board. UWM had the ball, but was unable to get a shot off.

The first overtime ended in equally exciting fashion, as Karel hit a three with 7.8 seconds remaining to tie the game at 63-63. The Badgers had scored the first four points of the frame, but Milwaukee went on a 9-2 run for a 63-60 lead on a three-pointer by freshman Amanda Viehauser.

Even getting to overtime was a daunting task for the Panthers, but they were up to the challenge. Wisconsin led 47-31 with just over 11 minutes remaining, but Milwaukee responded with a 21-4 run. Edwards scored 11 points over the run, including her school-record tying and record-breaking points. One of two Edwards free throws with 1:58 remaining gave UWM (52-51) its first lead since 3-2.

"We went to a zone. We just put (the three-quarter) trap in this week," Botham said. "We dropped into a zone and really just got them off the rhythm that they were in. That's what it is. That zone was really effective and I just felt like we stymied them. We did a great job of controlling the boards better with it. Basketball's all about momentum and we got the momentum on our side."

Dunham followed with a long three, but Edwards had the last laugh, sending the game into overtime at 54-54 with a layup with just 4.8 seconds remaining.

"It feels good," Edwards said of her first career last-second, game-tying basket, "but in the end we still didn't win."

It was a tale of two halves for the Panthers as they overcame 27.3 percent shooting in the first half to shoot 54.2 percent in the second half and 46.2 percent in extra time to finish at 42.4 percent. They also grabbed seven more rebounds (43-36) and finished with just seven turnovers after halftime for a game total of 22.

Wisconsin shot just 34.8 percent from the field and turned the ball over 16 times. But, the Badgers collected 12 steals, eight blocks and were a blistering 20-of-23 (87.0 percent) from the free throw line.

Both teams came out of the gate sluggish with the Panthers sinking the first field goal of the game, a three from Danielle Jorgenson, and holding a 3-2 lead at the first media timeout. In fact, Wisconsin did not hit a field goal until 7:03 into the game, while Milwaukee had eight turnovers between its first and second made baskets.

Once the offenses got on track, the Badgers took advantage and built a 13-point advantage with runs of 9-0 and 12-3 for a 29-16 lead in the final minute of the game. Edwards gave the game its halftime score with a layup with 39 seconds remaining to make it 29-18.

In the frame, Milwaukee shot 27.3 percent from the field and had 15 turnovers. It did, however, forge an 18-15 advantage on the boards. The Badgers were not much better, shooting 32 percent from the field and turning the ball over nine times.

The difference proved to be at the free throw line, where UW found itself 11 times, making 10. Milwaukee had just four tries from the stripe, making three.

The Panthers play their third-straight road game their next time out, Sunday at Washington State, before returning home for a three-game homestand. UWM and WSU tip off at 4 p.m. central time in Pullman, Wash.