Feb. 18, 2012

Box Score

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Kiersten Green hit a three-pointer with just 7.2 seconds left to help Cleveland State University escape with a 70-68 victory over the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team Saturday afternoon at the Wolstein Center. The loss was a heartbreaker, as the Panthers (7-18, 3-11 Horizon League) let a 14-point halftime lead slip away against the Vikings (10-16, 5-10 Horizon League).

"It is a heartbreaker, there is no doubt about it," Milwaukee head coach Sandy Botham said. "Give Cleveland State credit for this win - they fought back and wouldn't give up."

Sophomore Courtney Lindfors and freshman Ashley Green had 16 points apiece to lead Milwaukee, with Lindfors grabbing a career-high 14 rebounds to record her fourth double-double of the season.

Two others were in double-figures for UWM, with sophomore Angela Rodriguez adding 12 and freshman Janna Swopshire contributing a career-high 11 points to go with seven rebounds.

"They (CSU) were more aggressive (in the second half) and we just got back on our heels," Botham said. "We really lost our poise and made poor decisions with our passes. I thought we lost focus at times down the stretch and didn't execute defensively and they took advantage of it."

Shalonda Winton paced CSU with 30 points and 18 rebounds on the day.

"She plays with a lot of confidence," Botham said. "Our goal was to try and get it out of her hands and we just didn't do it enough."

Tied, 66-66 late, Green gave the Panthers the two-point edge on a reverse layup with just 25 seconds remaining. After a timeout, CSU's Green hit just her sixth three-pointer of the season to put the home team in front with 7.2 left on the clock.

With no timeouts remaining, Milwaukee looked to push the ball up the court, but the Viking defense forced a turnover and, after one of two makes from the free throw line, a last-gasp full-court attempt fell short and CSU escaped.

The second half was a complete reversal of the first. Despite shooting 52.2 percent (12-of-23), UWM was outscored by 16 points after intermission. More importantly, 11 of its 12 turnovers came in the second half as the Vikings overcame the deficit, which had been as large as 18 in the first half. The Panthers also missed 12 of 19 free throws on the day.

"We had opportunities," Botham said. "Some missed layups, some missed free throws. If we shoot our average, we come away with the win. There are still a lot of positives we can take from this. It's a game you have to learn from. If we get in this situation again, we will know how to handle it."

The first half was all Milwaukee, with the 14-point lead the second-largest it has recorded on the season. UWM shot well from long-distance, making 5-of-9 three's, and took care of the ball - committing just one turnover in the first 20 minutes and it came at the 8:44 mark.

The Panthers led by five on a couple of early occasions, using a 9-0 run to take a 24-12 lead and forcing a CSU timeout. That spurt ended with Rodriguez drilling three's on back-to-back possessions. UWM would then make it a 13-point game at the 5:26 mark on a three from senior Alex Klawitter.

A second 9-0 run by Milwaukee really opened the game up. Swopshire's jumper with a minute left gave UWM its largest lead at 38-20 before CSU would tally the final four points. She provided a great spark in the first half, scoring six of the final nine UWM points and grabbing four rebounds in the half.

Up next, the Panthers return home for their final pair of games in Milwaukee, welcoming Butler to the Klotsche Center Feb. 23 for a 7 p.m. tip.