March 9, 2013

Box Score

Decorah's Record Three & Postgame Interview (Below)

MILWAUKEE - Junior Emily Decorah set a new Horizon League record for three-pointers made in a season as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team fell to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, 80-56, in the regular-season finale Saturday afternoon at the Klotsche Center.

The Panthers (9-19, 5-11 Horizon League) had the game tied early, but the 20th-ranked Phoenix (26-2, 16-0 Horizon league) used a big scoring run to take control and never looked back. The victory extended its win streak to 21 games as the team wrapped up its 15th-consecutive regular season title.

"They are very good," Milwaukee head coach Kyle Rechlicz said. "They are very disciplined, which is the word I like to use for them. They don't play out of character much and when they are hitting the three as well as they did today, any team in the country is going to struggle to play with them. Every player on the floor for them is a weapon and that is what we want to get to."

Sophomore Ashley Green scored 18 of her team-high 20 points in the second half, adding six rebounds and a pair of steals as the only player in double-figures. Sami Tucker added a near double-double of nine points and nine rebounds on "Senior Day". Classmate Sammy Theut finished with a career-high seven rebounds, three points and five assists.

Lydia Bauer led Green Bay with a game-high 22 points, with Adrian Ritchie adding 18.

Decorah's three from the left wing with 6:38 remaining established the new mark at 94 on the year, swishing through the net to break the former standard of 93 held by UWM assistant coach Jessica Wilhite, which she set in the 2000-01 campaign.

"It felt good to hit one because I had been kind of struggling to get them off today," Decorah said. "My family was here and it was really cool to do it in front of them. I just shook her hand (Wilhite's) when I got to the bench and gave her a little smile."

"It was amazing," Rechlicz said. "She gives all of the credit to her teammates for finding her and giving her the basketball. She fits very well into my system."

The first six made baskets of the contest were three-pointers, with junior Angela Rodriguez making it 9-9 on a triple from the wing at the 15:57 mark.

From there, the Phoenix turned on the gas, using a 19-2 scoring run to get the lead to 17 at 28-11 with 9:37 left in the first. The closest UWM would get in the second half was 14 points.

Milwaukee finished 35.0 percent (21-for-60) from the floor compared to Green Bay's 47.9 (23-for-48). The Phoenix also made 60 percent of its three's (12-for-20).

With the regular season in the books, the Panthers finished the league slate at 5-11 and, after tie-breakers, did finish in sixth place. That means they will head to the No. 3 seed, which turned out to be Loyola after it defeated UIC Saturday afternoon to finish 10-6. Game time is set for 7 p.m.