Box Score |  Notes

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (March 6, 2008) - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team converted 21-of-25 free throw attempts, led by a 12-for-14 effort from junior Traci Edwards, to down Detroit, 59-50, Thursday evening at the Klotsche Center.

With the win, the Panthers (15-13, 10-7 Horizon) clinched a home quarterfinal game as no worse than the fourth seed in the upcoming Horizon League Tournament. The Titans (6-22, 3-14 Horizon), meanwhile, will be the 10th seed in the tournament with their loss.

"We want to play the best we can. I don't think we played to our fullest potential tonight, but I think we did enough of the little things," Milwaukee head coach Sandy Botham said. "Our goal was to win (points in the paint)--we didn't quite do that. Our goal was also to win (at the free throw line) and I think that was the difference."

Edwards tallied her school-record 16th double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 rebounds. She also blocked two shots and two steals to pace Milwaukee. Senior Aubri Rote was the only other Panther in double-figures with 10, while junior Jody Crumble and freshman Jenilee Klomstad each added eight off the bench.

Sandi Brown paced Detroit with 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Chanica Hall chipped in 10. Wisconsin native Gabi Hungerford scored eight points in her homecoming, including her team's only two 3-pointers in the game.

The game was sloppy at times both ways, with each team committing 22 turnovers on the game. Milwaukee came away with 11 steals on the night and five blocked shots, conceded a 43-32 rebounding advantage, but made up for it by attempting eight more free throws than UDM and converting 13 more (8-for-17).

UWM shot 42.5 percent from the field, with just 17 field goals and 40 attempts holding up for the win. Detroit attempted 23 more field goals, but suffered cold-shooting from everywhere on the floor on its way to just a 31.7 percent clip from the field.

"Both teams had trouble taking care of the basketball," Botham said, "but we did enough defensively, holding them to 32 percent, and enough on the offensive end. We executed well on the offensive end and got ourselves to the free throw line."

Detroit was able to off-set its poor shooting at times with 25 offensive boards, the most conceded by Milwaukee this season.

"Twenty-five offensive boards kept them in the game," Botham said. "Give them credit, (Detroit) is a team that hasn't given them up. Their record is not near the team they are. They played hard and fought, but I think Traci carried us, as she has been doing all season long. In the first half she carried us, and in the second half by getting to the free throw line."

The Panthers struggled to put away the Titans early on, building an 11-point lead in the first half, but finding the score tied at 34-34 on a Gabi Hungerford three-pointer with 11:21 to play in the game. Rote then knocked down a three 13 seconds later to kick-start an 11-0 run that re-established Milwaukee's 11-point lead at 45-34 at the 8:54 mark.

Detroit did not relent in rattling off a 9-1 run to cut the lead to three. Edwards then put back a missed Rote jumper and Crumble converted a pair of free throws to give the home team the buffer it would need at 50-43. The Titans would get no closer than five down the stretch.

The Panthers close out the regular season Saturday at the Klotsche Center, hosting Wright State. UWM and WSU tip off at 2 p.m. The Raiders fell at Green Bay, 78-73, in overtime, opening the door for Milwaukee to slide up to the second seed. But, a loss by Youngstown State at Loyola gave WSU the tie-breaker should the Panthers tie Wright State for second in the standings.