MILWAUKEE - Senior Ashley Green finished with 31 points and 10 rebounds and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team overcame a seven-point deficit with five minutes remaining to claim a 66-60 victory over Oakland University Friday afternoon at the Klotsche Center.
 
The Panthers (8-13, 4-5 Horizon League) used a 14-3 run late in regulation to claim the win over the Golden Grizzlies (10-12, 4-5 Horizon League), a team that was coming off an upset over first-place Green Bay on Wednesday and had handed Milwaukee its worst loss of the season when these two teams squared off earlier this season.
 
"It was awesome just to watch our team come together and it all started with our leadership and with Ashley," Milwaukee head coach Kyle Rechlicz said. "And it wasn't even Ashley's scoring and rebounding, it was the way she was commanding the court – talking to such a young group – when we finished that game we had three freshmen on the court."
 
Green tied the school record with her fourth game of 30-or-more points this season, going 11-for-12 from the free throw line and making both of her three-point attempts to celebrate her birthday in style.
 
"For Ashley to score 31 points this late in the season is a testament to how much work she has put in," Rechlicz said. "Her teammates are finding her and they want the ball in her hands. They know that if she's successful, than we are going to be successful."
 
Green grabbed the final missed shot of the day to record her sixth double-double of the year and 15^th of her UWM career in front of an announced crowd of 3,500 at the second annual "School Day With The Panthers".
 
"It was awesome. This crowd really got it," Rechlicz said. "The Milwaukee community came out and they were the reason we got this win. They were our sixth man on the court and were going crazy for us. We are very appreciative that they came out to support us."
 
Junior Jaleesa Armstrong finished in double-figures with 10, adding four assists, four rebounds and some key free throws in the final minute.
 
Kelsey Cunningham played one of her best games of her freshman campaign, netting 10 points and setting season highs with eight rebounds, three steals and 29 minutes played.
 
Classmate Steph Kostowicz made her return to the court after missing over a month with an injury, playing 16 minutes. She scored six points and came up with a key late block and offensive rebound to close out the win.
 
Peyton Apsey paced the visitors with 19 points and was joined by Nola Anderson (10) and Elena Popkey (10) in double-figures.
 
A tight game for most of the second half, Oakland tried to pull away a handful of times but Milwaukee reeled them back in each time. The Golden Grizzlies seemingly took control late, scoring five in a row to take their largest lead of the afternoon at 53-46 with just 5:23 remaining.
 
Green and Cunningham each went 2-for-2 from the line to get back in it and Green's swished three-pointer from the top of the arc tied the game at 53-53 and forced an Oakland timeout with under four to play.
 
Apsey calmly sank a three to retake a three-point cushion, but Green came up big, with an old-fashioned three-point play knotting it again at 56-all.
 
With the score 58-56 in UWM's favor, a missed OU three was rebounded in the paint, but Kostowicz blocked the putback attempt and two more Green free throws extended the lead to 60-56 at the 1:47 mark.
 
A quick Oakland layup and timeout once again made it a one-possession game. Cunningham was fouled and made the first. Her second was off the mark, only to see Kostowicz grab the huge offensive rebound and keep possession.
 
The Panthers would make five of six attempts from the charity stripe the final 39 seconds to seal the win. The team managed the impressive result despite a tough day from long distance, finishing just 3-of-22 overall, including 0-of-12 in the first half.
 
Both teams were under 40 percent from the floor for the day, but Milwaukee did win the battle of the boards with a season-high 47 (47-40), including 16 offensive.
 
Despite just one made field goal the final six and a half minutes, the Panthers did manage a 30-28 lead heading into the locker room.
 
Oakland jumped ahead early and led 11-7 five minutes in. UWM responded and battled back, tying the game at 13-13 at the 12:43 mark on a teardrop jumper in the lane by Armstrong.
 
"I knew they would start off strong," Rechlicz said. "They were coming in with a lot of confidence and I just kept telling our team, even from the start of the game, to weather the storm. I took that early timeout just to calm them down and get our feet underneath us."
 
Trailing, 16-15, Milwaukee scored five in a row to lead 20-15 on a Green free throw with just under nine minutes left in the half. An Oakland three trimmed the lead to one at 22-21, but a 6-0 spurt gave the Panthers their biggest lead of the opening frame at 28-21.
 
The team went cold from there, making just one of its final 11 shots from the floor, but playing good enough defense to maintain a small advantage heading into intermission.
 
Up next, the Panthers return to action with a midweek matchup at Valparaiso Feb. 12. Game time is set for 7 p.m.