Jan. 12, 2012

Box Score

DETROIT, Mich. - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team cut an 18-point deficit down to eight, only to see the University of Detroit take control with a decisive scoring run as part of a 71-48 victory Thursday at Calihan Hall. The Panthers (4-10, 0-4 Horizon League) trailed just 38-30 early in the second half, only to see the Titans (8-9, 4-1 Horizon League) respond with an 18-1 run that decided the game.

Junior Sami Tucker led Milwaukee with 17 points and nine rebounds while freshman Ashley Green chipped in with nine points and six rebounds of her own.

Senee Shearer hit for a game-high 20 points to lead Detroit, which also got a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds from Yar Shayok. The team also finished 54.2 percent (26-for-48) from the floor, including a red-hot 65.2 percent (15-of-23) in the second half.

"I thought we came out a little flat and didn't have great energy," UWM head coach Sandy Botham said. "They jumped on us right away and we were playing catch-up. We have to learn to come out of the blocks with some fury and determination. We didn't set the tone like we would have liked to but we showed some emotion and were able to fight our way back into it."

Trailing 35-19 after a UDM three-pointer, Milwaukee rallied with an 11-3 scoring run to trail by just eight on a pair of free throws from Tucker at the 14:10 mark. The Titans held their ground, regaining momentum and the game with an 18-1 run over the next five minutes to build their lead back to 56-31. UWM ran out of gas at that point, getting no closer than 17 points the rest of the way.

"The run was good," Botham said. "We were being aggressive and we were able to cut it to eight. Controlling the tempo against a team like this is so important. But, it's a tough loss. Losing four in a row isn't easy, but we have to keep growing and getting better and learning from this."

Milwaukee did force 18 turnovers compared to just 13 miscues of its own, but did lose the rebounding battle, 42-30. Freshman Kiki Wilson added eight points and three assists, with freshman Janna Swopshire recording four points and four rebounds on the night.

The Titans held Milwaukee to its lowest first-half scoring output of the season, building a commanding 30-17 lead by halftime. They held the Panthers to 30.8 percent (8-for-26) shooting, while also outrebounding their opponent by a 20-12 count over the first 20 minutes.

A jumper by Green tied the game at 2-2 about a minute in before she would add a free throw the next possession to get UWM within one at 4-3. Detroit picked it up from there, going on an 11-2 run to lead 15-5 with just over 11 minutes left in the half.

The Panthers would trade baskets the next couple of possessions, but that rebounding edge - which led to 11 second-chance points - would help the Titans build a lead to as many as 18 at 29-11 before a late 6-1 spurt by UWM cut it to 13 at intermission. Swopshire provided the spark, scoring all four points and grabbing all four of her rebounds in the half.

Milwaukee finishes up the weekend road trip with a stop in Ohio to take on Wright State. Tip off against the Raiders is set for 1 p.m. CST Saturday.