Box Score

CHICAGO, Ill. (Jan. 22, 2009) - Five players scored in double-figures as the University of Illinois at Chicago scored a 71-57 win over the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team Thursday evening at the UIC Pavilion.

The Panthers (7-10, 2-4 Horizon) trailed by 13 points midway through the second half, but rattled off nine-straight points to make it a four-point game with 9:25 to play. From that point on, however, UIC (10-6, 4-2) outscored UWM, 21-11, to run away with the win.

"UIC really dictated us tonight," Milwaukee head coach Sandy Botham said. "We were a step slow defensively for the bulk of the game, we gave up too many easy shots and it cost us. We settled for too many outside shots early and didn't get aggressive going down low. Jenilee and Traci had looks when we did, but we settled too much for outside shots."

Senior Traci Edwards scored a team-high 14 points and was joined in double-figures by sophomore Lindsay Laur with 10. Sophomore Jenilee Klomstad had a season-best eight points, as did sophomore Ashley Imperiale.

Jessie Miller had a game-high 15 points to lead the Flames, while Jasmine Bailey added 13. Shameia Green, Cassie Johnson and Meghan Hutchens scored 10 points apiece.

Milwaukee struggled from the field all night, finishing at just 34.5 percent from the field, including 5-of-20 from three point range. The Panthers also committed 20 turnovers and fought within one in the battle of the boards, 36-35.

UIC was on fire from the field for most of the game, but cooled to 46.4 percent on the night. The Flames also made eight of their 18 three-point attempts and 11-of-13 free throws.

The Panther forced UIC into an uncharacteristic number of turnovers early, but the trend waned and the Flames finished with 17, just two over their season average.

Trailing 50-37 with 11:42 to play in the game, Botham called a timeout and inserted sophomore Jineen Williams into the lineup. The combination of the two seemed to click as the Panthers rattled off nine-straight points to make it a 50-46 game with 9:25 to play.

"We had great energy on the offensive end and really attacked," Botham said. "That led to a nice little run. Then, we missed one assignment defensively and that broke our back."

Hutchens killed the run with a layup, but Laur answered with a layup. It turned out to be a Miller three-pointer with 7:08 to go that was the dagger. The long distance shot kick-started a 13-4 run to take back the game's momentum. UIC would lead by as many as 17 down the stretch.

"That's what happens when you play from behind the whole game," Botham said. "If we would have come out in the first half and not dug ourselves a hole, that energy would go towards building our own lead instead of cutting into theirs. It's hard to do that game after game."

After Hutchens' layup, UWM would shoot just 3-of-15 the rest of the game and miss all four three-point attempts. The Panthers also turned the ball over six times in that span. In that time UIC was only 3-of-7 from the field, but went to the free throw line 11 times, sinking 10.

Milwaukee returns to Chicago Saturday, taking on Loyola on the north side at 2 p.m.