Box Score |  Notes

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Jan. 17, 2009) - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team opened the game on a 22-6 run and wound up knocking down a school-record 15 three-pointers in defeating Detroit, 75-57, Saturday afternoon at the Klotsche Center.

The Panthers (7-9, 2-3 Horizon) scored their first 18 points from three-point range and hit their first four attempts on their way to a record-breaking afternoon. The previous record was 14 set in a 100-46 win over Youngstown State Feb. 2, 2002.

"We've been through a lot this week and I thought this was a complete game," Milwaukee head coach Sandy Botham said. "We talked about playing a complete game and winning all the categories and we did. A lot different people stepped up. I thought Mac (Jodie McClain) played extremely well. Obviously Detroit was trying to make somebody other than Traci Edwards beat them and people responded to it. It was a great total team effort."

Four players scored in double-figures for Milwaukee, led by junior Jodie McClain's 20. McClain finished with six of the team's three-pointers in addition to six rebounds and six assists. Senior Traci Edwards added 12 points, while sophomore Stephanie Schell knocked down three 3's on her way to a personal-best 11 points. Sophomore Lindsay Laur added 10 points and a career-best 11 rebounds for her second double-double of the season.

"We need a complete game and that's everybody contributing, so it was so good to see," Botham said. "They all have the ability to do. So, to see it become a reality and see them step up and score for us, hopefully it's something we can build on and will give us confidence on the offensive end."

Detroit (5-12, 1-5 Horizon) was led by Sandi Brown's 17 points and 10 rebounds. Talicia Washington added 11 points and Chanica Hall had nine points to go with seven assists.

Brown scored the first points of the game, taking the tip off a short distance for an uncontested lay-up. From then on, it was all UWM. Senior Markita Barnes and McClain hit back-to-back threes before another lay-up by Brown. That was then followed by another McClain three and two from sophomore Ashley Imperiale.

Schell kept the 22-2 run going with the team's sixth 3-pointer to start the game before Imperiale hit UWM's first two-point basket at the 12:23 mark. Edwards followed with a lay-up and it was 22-6 just after the 12-minute media timeout.

Milwaukee ended up building its first-half advantage as high as 19 points at 35-16, before eventually taking a 37-23 lead into the locker room.

In the second half, the Panthers built their lead as high as 20 and never let the Titans closer than 12 throughout the frame. The three's continued to drop for UWM, as Edwards hit No. 14 with just under four minutes to play and McClain added her sixth and the team's 15th at 1:32.

Detroit came out of the gates looking to shut the league's leading scorer Edwards, playing a zone defense with Brown staying with Edwards the whole time. The senior center had few touches in the first half, with both of her shot attempts coming off offensive rebounds. But, the Panthers stepped up around her, with nine of the team's 10 dressed players scoring points and six knocking down three's.

"They played zone," Botham said. "They box-and-one'd Traci and just would not let Traci touch the ball. That left us wide open shots, wide open opportunities. It was a great thing that we were able to knock them down and convert."

UWM played probably its most efficient game of the season, tallying 24 assists on 27 made baskets and committing just 12 turnovers. Barnes finished with a personal-best 10 assists compared to no turnovers, while the team's 12 is its second-lowest total of the season.

"Markita was called to play and she was a little shaky in the last game, but she is gaining confidence," Botham said. "She won the team's playmaker award last year, so it's great to see her be that kind of distributor for us and make that kind of impact for us, getting other people shots."

Milwaukee shot 44.3 percent from the field, including 46.9 percent from three-point range. The Panthers did not get to the free throw line until the 5:29 mark of the second half and finished 6-of-11 from the charity stripe. They won the battle of the boards, 43-34, and blocked five shots. The Titans shot 38.1 percent on the day and made just 3-of-14 three-point attempts (21.4 percent).

The Panthers return to the road next week, with a pair of trips to Chicago on the Horizon. UWM takes on UIC Thursday and returns to the Second City Saturday to play Loyola.