UWM To Take On Panthers Thursday Night

Milwaukee looks to rebound against Eastern Illinois

MILWAUKEE - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team will look to get back to its winning ways Thursday with a matchup against another Panther squad - the Eastern Illinois Panthers. UWM will look for its third win in four games when it tips off against EIU Thursday night at 6 p.m. from Lantz Arena. Fans can catch the game online on TheBig920.com with Scott Warras on the call, or on the OVC Digital Network.

PANTHER BITS
• Milwaukee fell to 3-3 on the season after a 69-44 loss to No. 15 Northwestern on Sunday.

• The Panthers return three starters and seven letterwinners from last season, welcoming nine newcomers to the roster, including six true freshmen.

• In the three seasons under head coach Kyle Rechlicz, the Panthers have set two of the top three program marks for three-pointers made and all three for three-pointers attempted, with highs of 255 makes and 733 attempts.

• Milwaukee also knows how to take care of the ball, setting the top three marks for fewest turnovers in a season over the past three campaigns. The school record of 14.9 per game was established in 2013-14.

• The Panthers were picked ninth in the 2015-16 preseason coaches' poll after finishing in eighth place a year ago.

• Kyle Rechlicz is in her fourth season after being named the seventh head coach in program history in May of 2012.

WHAT'S NEW
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team will look to get back to its winning ways Thursday with a matchup against another Panther squad - the Eastern Illinois Panthers. UWM will look for its third win in four games when it tips off against EIU Thursday night at 6 p.m. from Lantz Arena. Fans can catch the game online on TheBig920.com with Scott Warras on the call, or on the OVC Digital Network.

LOOKING AT EASTERN ILLINOIS
EIU enters Thursday's game with a 1-7 record overall. The Panthers have hit a rough patch of late, dropping their last seven straight. Their lone win on the season came in the form of a 77-71 overtime home victory at the hands of IUPUI. Eastern Illinois has already had two overtime games (a loss to Loyola-Chicago) and most recently came up just short to Omaha, 76-67, on Sunday.

Despite not getting the results in the win column, the Panthers still have put up plenty of solid stats this season. Erica Brown and Shakita Cox both average over 11 points per game, with Brown also leading the team in rebounding at just under eight per contest. Defensively, EIU has held its opponents to just .285 shooting from three so far this season.

SERIES HISTORY
Milwaukee is a perfect 3-0 in the all-time series against Eastern Illinois since moving to Division I. While the two teams don't square off often, this year's meeting will mark the second in exactly one year with last year's game also a Dec. 10th contest. UWM claimed that one 72-63. The two teams first meet back in the 1993-94 season - a 71-49 win by Milwaukee in Charleston.

UP NEXT
The Panthers return home on Monday for its final contest before a break for final exams. UWM will welcome Summit League foe Denver to town for a 7 p.m. contest Monday from the Klotsche Center. That game will also be televised on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel, as well as ESPN3.

LAST GAME
Nia Coffey scored 21 points to go with 14 rebounds to lead No. 15 Northwestern to a 69-44 win over the Milwaukee women's basketball team Sunday afternoon from Welsh-Ryan Arena.

With the win, the Wildcats (8-0) stretch their unbeaten streak to eight to start the season, while UWM falls to .500 at 3-3 on the young season.

"Northwestern is a very talented team," Milwaukee head coach Kyle Rechlicz said. "They're very long. I felt like our team came in and didn't back down though. I thought that we competed – especially on the defensive end and on the rebounding side of things. We just really struggled to put the ball in the basket. That's something that we have to figure out when we're playing bigger, stronger teams is how are we still going to get our shots."

Milwaukee played tough defense all day long against a team that came in with four players averaging over 15 points per game. UWM grabbed 46 rebounds on the day to NU's 48, including claiming a 17-11 edge on the offensive glass.

SPORTSCENTER TOP 10
When Sydney Howard hit a three-pointer from near midcourt to beat the halftime buzzer in the Dec. 3 win over NIU, she not only brought the crowd to its feet for a standing ovation, she got the attention of the national media. Howard's buzzer-beater was featured the following day on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays of the day.

ALL A-BOARD
Steph Kostowicz's performance against NIU on Dec. 3 was one for the ages. The sophomore hauled in an incredible 20 rebounds in the big win to go with 11 points for her second double-double of the season. The 20 rebounds shattered her previous career-high of 14 and ties her for sixth-most in program history. It is also the first time a Panther has collected 20+ rebounds in one game since Traci Edwards accomplished that feat Dec. 30, 2006.

DEJA VU
Dec. 10th will be a case of deja vu for Milwaukee and Eastern Illinois, as the two teams squared off against one another exactly one year ago from Thursday's competition. UWM won that one, 72-63, from Panther Arena.

CHECK THAT BOX SCORE
The Panthers ended a pair of long stretches in the win over La Salle Nov. 28, one involving team defense and the other involving their rebounding prowess. Milwaukee held the Explorers to just 28.1 percent shooting (18-of-64) from the floor, marking the first time it held an opponent under 30 percent since Valparaiso made 22.0 percent (11-of-50) from the field back on Feb. 25, 2012 - a span of 94 games. On the rebounding side, not only did the Panthers out-rebound their opponent by a 53-36 total, but two different players ended the contest with 10 or more for the first time since Nov. 29, 2013 - a stretch of 58 games. Sophomore Jenny Lindner (15 boards) and junior Sierra Ford-Washington (10) each accomplished the feat. The prior instance came against Lamar, with Ashley Green grabbing 14 and Avyanna Young 11.

IT'S "MILWAUKEE"

• A lot has been made of the correct way to talk about the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, especially in the area of athletics. It would be appreciated if you would refer to the athletics teams as either "Milwaukee" or "UWM". Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated.

• Milwaukee Athletics is making an effort to brand itself as "Milwaukee" instead of other references. Please avoid UW-Milwaukee, UW-M, Wisc.-Mil, UW-MIL, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, etc. We appreciate your assistance with this effort in advance.

TAKING THE NEXT STEP
The end of last season was impressive for Steph Kostowicz, who was finally healthy and earned a spot in the starting lineup each of the final three games as a freshman. She carried that over into the first three games of this season and averaged 14.0 points and 10.0 rebounds over those six games. She went for 17 points and 12 boards against FAU Nov. 24 - recording her third career double-double - with all three of those coming in those six outings dating back to last season. She also enters play this week as the Horizon League's top shot blocker this year at 2.2 per game.

EARLY CHARITY SUCCESS
The Panthers are off to an impressive start from the free throw line, currently near the lead in the Horizon League with a 73.3 percent clip after sinking 66-of-97 in their first six games. That's a better ratio than the past few seasons. Milwaukee shot 69.8 percent last year and have not finished over 70 percent since a program-record 79.1 percent showing back in 2010-11.

A WHOPPER OF AN OPENER
The 22-point margin of victory was nearly the highest in the history of the program. The only bigger one? That would be Kyle Rechlicz's first-ever game on the Panther bench, a 24-point win over Chicago State, 82-58, back on November 9, 2012.

WELL, THAT TOOK 40 MINUTES
Sophomore Jenny Lindner needed all of one 40-minute game (actually, she played only 31) to equal her career high from her freshman season when she went off for 25 points in the opener. It marked the third 20-point effort of her young career.
1. 25 vs. UMKC, 11/16/15
2. 25 vs. Youngstown State, 2/19/15
3. 20 vs. Cleveland State, 2/28/15

EFFICIENT, TOO
Not only did Lindner tie her career high with those 25 points - and never had a chance to break it after not attempting a field goal in the fourth quarter - but she did it with some of the most efficient shooting in school history by making 10 of her 12 shots on the night. That 83.3 field-goal percentage marked the third-best marksmanship in a single UWM game.

1. .909 (10-of-11), Nichole Drummond, 2/11/06
2. .857 (12-of-14), Traci Edwards, 2/21/08
3. .833 (10-of-12), Lindner

PRESEASON PUBLICITY
Sophomore Jenny Lindner was named to the Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team in the league's annual preseason poll by the staff at the College Sports Madness website.

NEW-LOOK PANTHERS
Milwaukee will have a new look to the roster this season after graduating three influential seniors from a year ago. The roster features six players who were on the team in 2014-15 and nine newcomers. Among the new faces are a trio of transfers (one will be sitting out, one a JUCO transfer and one ready to play this season after sitting out a year ago due to transfer rules) as well as six true freshmen all looking to make a good first impression.

TIME TO STEP UP
The situation allows the Panthers an opportunity for new players to step up or returning players to expand their roles from last season. The team will return just under half - 48.6 percent - of its scoring (963 of 1,981 total points) and just over half - 51.5 percent - of rebounding (558 of 1,083 total individual rebounds). When you break it down further, senior Jordyn Swan, who will miss the season due to injury, accounted for returning totals of 201 points and 108 boards.

OFF TO A GOOD START
Jenny Lindner enjoyed a stellar campaign as a newcomer a season ago, earning Horizon League All-Freshman Team honors after averaging 10.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, starting 28 of the 30 games she appeared in. That marked the first time a UWM player made the league all-freshman squad in four years. She finished 17 games in double-figures - the most for a UWM freshman since Ashley Green also accomplished the feat 17 times back in 2011-12.

Among Lindner's double-digit contests was a 25-point outing against Youngstown State Feb. 19, the third-highest scoring output for a freshman in school history.

1. Courtney Lindfors: 35 points (11/16/10)
2. Traci Edwards: 28 (2/25/06)
T3. Lindner: 25 (2/19/15)
T3. Maria Viall: 25 (12/17/00 & 3/1/01)

In addition, her .822 free throw percentage topped the team and was the third-best ever for a UWM freshman in program history and her five made 3's against YSU was one off the school freshman mark of six set by Angela Rodriguez back on 12/1/10 against Bradley.

THE KOST OF ADMISSION
Steph Kostowicz continued to impress at the end of her first season in a Panther uniform a year ago, earning Horizon League Freshman of the Week honors March 9 after she averaged 14.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game against Detroit and Wright State, posting her first career double-double versus the Titans. She upped the ante against Valpo March 9, equaling her career-high with 18 points and topping her rebound high, finishing with 14. She closed her freshman season strong, scoring in double figures in each of her final four games - the last three in the starting lineup - averaging 14.3 points and 11.0 rebounds in that final four-game stretch, shooting just over 50 percent from the floor.

BLOCK PARTY
Kostowicz also made some noise on defense, leading the way with six blocks against Valparaiso in the first round of the Horizon League Tournament, which was just off the school record of seven. It has been a while since a Panther caused so much commotion in the paint, a span of 109 games having passed since a UWM player had at least five (Courtney Lindfors had six against Chicago State, Dec. 15, 2011). Kostowicz added four more rejections in the season finale against Green Bay in the league quarterfinals.

SYD THE KYD
Sydney Howard enjoyed a breakthrough junior campaign and her performance in the month of December was noteworthy. In six games (four starts), Howard averaged 7.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game and reset her career-high for points in a game twice, including 14 against IPFW Dec. 28. She shot 51.9 percent from the field (14-27), 55.6 percent on 3's (5-9), playing 25.7 minutes and had 11 assists compared to four turnovers. She also went for a career-best 17 points against Detroit March 4. Howard finished the year averaging 5.8 points and 2.7 rebounds to top her former career bests of 2.3 ppg and 1.4 rpg. She had four games of 10 or more points after accomplishing the feat just once over her first two seasons. She also had the best assist-to-turnover ratio on the squad at 64-44, a ratio of 1.45 that finished as the fifth-best in program history for a single-season.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
The Panthers set a record for fewest turnovers per game in 2012-13 at 16.2 - an impressive total considering the record that they broke was the former standard of 17.3 set during the 2001-02 campaign (an improvement of over one per game). The new record did not last long, however, as UWM turned the ball over just 14.9 times per contest in 2013-14 to shatter the record once again. The team came close again last season and the past three years under Kyle Rechlicz now account for the top three entries in the record book.

TEAM TURNOVERS PER GAME
1. 14.9 turnovers per game, 2013-14
2. 15.2 in 2014-15
3. 16.2 in 2012-13

HOW THEY ROLL
The Panthers were at it once again from deep last season and it would have been more noticeable had they not been even better at it the previous two years. The team once again finished close to the top of the record book for three-pointers made and attempted. Prior to Kyle Rechlicz's arrival, the most three's made was 212 and attempted was 586. The marks set in 2012-13 (255 of 726) smashed the old standards. In 2013-14, the team finished at 241 makes and 733 attempts, both numbers ending in the top two all-time. After three seasons under Kyle Rechlicz, the triple-happy Panthers nearly hold each of the top three marks for 3's made and attempted for a season.

3's MADE
1. 255 in 2012-13
2. 241 in 2013-14
4. 205 in 2014-15

3's ATTEMPTED
1. 733 in 2013-14
2. 726 in 2012-13
3. 676 in 2014-15

IT'S AN OLD HABIT
The Panthers have turned it up from three-point range recently, but have always been a threat from long distance. In fact, the team has a long history of making three's headed in to 2015-16. Milwaukee has made at least one three-pointer in every game dating back to an 0-for-4 showing from long-distance against Marquette back on November 26, 2002. That makes 394 games in a row heading into the game against the Huskies. It's still a ways to go for the NCAA record, however, which is held by Canisius at 510 in a row (1994-2011). The Horizon League record was halted four years ago when Loyola came up empty at 446. Cleveland State held the record previously - which was also the NCAA mark at the time - at 408 (1992-2007). For comparison, the NBA's longest streak is the Dallas Mavericks at 1,108 in a row.

MAKING A NAME FOR HERSELF
Head coach Kyle Rechlicz was named the seventh coach in program history in May of 2012. She also got off to one of the best starts - becoming the first UWM coach to win three of her first five contests of her initial campaign. In her first season, Rechlicz was also one of the youngest coaches at the NCAA Division I level - just seven coaches had earlier birth years when the 2012-13 campaign began.

WATCH 'EM ANYWHERE
Fans will have the opportunity to watch the Panthers all season long. The team will play five games on local broadcast television, once again returning to Time Warner Cable SportsChannel. Another 16 games will be carried live online on ESPN3 as well as four other road games via opponent platforms. For the Panthers' TWC SportsChannel contests, Bob Brainerd and former UWM great Maria Viall will once again be calling the action.

HEAD TO THE BIG 920
Nearly every Milwaukee regular-season game will once again be available on the radio and online via "The Big 920" on your AM dial. Scott Warras is back for his 10th season donning the headset. Fans can also catch Warras' call with the majority of the team's ESPN3 webcasts. A select few games will not be aired due to broadcast conflicts.

WELCOME
Head coach Kyle Rechlicz rounded out her staff in the offseason with a series of moves. Ashlee McGee moved up a spot in the assistant coach hierarchy and former video coordinator Dan Carey was promoted to assistant coach, with the recruiting coordinator role also added to his title.

Mike Hamilton was hired as the new Video Coordinator and Molly Hanson as the Director of Basketball Operations.

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Players Mentioned

#4 Ashley Green: G/F; 5' 11"; Senior

#15 Sydney Howard: G; 5' 7"; Senior

#32 Steph Kostowicz: F; 6' 2"; Sophomore

#20 Jenny Lindner: G; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#41 Jordyn Swan: G/F; 6' 0"; Senior

#30 Sierra Ford-Washington: G; 5' 8"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#4 Ashley Green
: 5' 11"; Senior
: G/F

#15 Sydney Howard
: 5' 7"; Senior
: G

#32 Steph Kostowicz
: 6' 2"; Sophomore
: F

#20 Jenny Lindner
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: G

#41 Jordyn Swan
: 6' 0"; Senior
: G/F

#30 Sierra Ford-Washington
: 5' 8"; Junior
: G