Nov. 4, 2011

Box Score

MILWAUKEE - Ashley Green scored 12 points and Courtney Lindfors scored 10 to help lead a balanced attack for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team in a 62-40 victory over Lewis University Friday night at the Klotsche Center.

The Panthers scored 14-consecutive points early in the second half to put the game away, with Green's layup with 11:32 to play giving Milwaukee a 48-25 advantage. The Flyers would cut the deficit to less than 20 points just once the rest of the way in the exhibition opener for both teams.

"I think it was a perfect exhibition game for us," UWM head coach Sandy Botham said. "I thought Lewis did a great job coming out of the blocks strong and putting some pressure on us and knocking down open shots. We got behind, but our players showed great composure and just whittled away. I thought defensively we were strong and took care of the basketball. There were a lot of positive things we can build on."

The Panthers forced 26 turnovers, scored 19 fast-break points and held a 46-to-32 advantage in rebounds. Balanced scoring by the starting five also played a significant role in the victory. Angela Rodriguez added nine points, six rebounds and four steals. Lindfors had those 10 points and added six rebounds, four blocks and four steals in just 18 minutes. Emily Decorah sank three three-pointers for her nine points and Sami Tucker finished with eight points and eight boards.

Alexus Grayer scored a game-high 13 points to lead Lewis, with teammate Labrenthia Murdock also in double-figures with 10.

All five of Milwaukee's freshmen played, with Green netting her 12 points on a nifty 6-of-10 shooting from the floor while also adding three steals and a pair of assists.

"Ashley came in from Nicolet, where she won a state championship last year," Botham said. "She had some great coaching and a foundation. She knows where she needs to be defensively and I think a lot of that is because of her high school background. Offensively, she plays a number of different positions for us and scores well. That's why we wanted her to be part of the Panther program."

Kiki Wilson was impressive, with the point guard tallying five assists and no turnovers in 20 minutes of play, scoring six points and grabbing four rebounds. Janna Swopshire also added five points, two assists and two rebounds in just nine minutes.

Lewis started quickly and took a 7-2 lead in the first four minutes. After settling down, UWM would tie the game three times over the next eight minutes before going on a decisive run before halftime.

Up just a point at 16-15 with just over five minutes remaining, the Panthers would score 15 of the last 22 points of the half to take a commanding 31-22 lead into the locker room. Decorah sank back-to-back three's and fast-break layups by Tucker and Green gave UWM the momentum it needed.

The team started the second half on a roll, using what consisted of a 17-to-3 run to start the period. The 14-straight points came from just three players, with Green netting six and Tucker and Wilson both scoring four to build the advantage to 48-25 with 11:32 to play.

The defense played well overall, holding the Flyers to 34.0 percent shooting (17-of-50), including just 26.7 percent (4-of-15) from three-point range. The team added 15 steals and scored 23 points off turnovers.

Up next, the regular season opener awaits, with the Panthers hosting the Wisconsin Badgers next Friday, tipping off at 7 p.m.