Box Score

Milwaukee UWM 22-12

UNCG UNCG 20-14

Milwaukee UWM

22-12

Final

Mar. 23, 2017

UNCG UNCG

20-14

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	3	4	F
Milwaukee UWM	10	19	10	10	49
UNCG UNCG	14	17	15	13	59

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | March 23, 2017

Milwaukee Comes Up Just Short In WBI Semifinals

Kostowicz posts third-straight double-double in loss

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Milwaukee women's basketball postseason run came to and end Thursday night in the WBI Semifinals with a 59-49 loss to UNCG from Fleming Gym.

UWM (22-12), which came into the game averaging nearly eight made threes per game, connected on just one and shot an uncharacteristically low 32-percent from the floor in the postseason loss.

The loss closes out the Panthers remarkable season that saw them tie the school record with 22 wins and had them playing the latest calendar game in school history.

"I give a lot of credit to Greensboro. I thought that they were the more physically tough team tonight," Milwaukee head coach Kyle Rechlicz said. "Anytime you play on the road you need to hit shots and unfortunately for us, the ball wasn't falling like it normally is. We're consistently used to knocking down the threes. So, they were able to pack it in, which put our team in a little bit of a different position.

"I'm really proud of our season. I'm proud of how we represented our university and I really believe that the four seniors on this year's team have changed the culture and really put Milwaukee - as a women's basketball program - on the map; both within the state and also within the Midwest. I thank them for choosing to be Panthers and for making that choice to trust and believe in us and for helping us turn this program around."

Steph Kostowicz led Milwaukee with 15 points, 14 rebounds, four steals and two blocks in just 28 minutes. That marks the third-straight double-double for the junior – all in the WBI.

Alexis Lindstrom also reached double figures in scoring with 10 points, while Sierra Ford-Washington added another nine points, three rebounds and two steals in both their final games as Panthers.

Nadine Soliman did the heavy lifting for UNCG (20-14) with 20 points, headlined by going 8-11 from the free throw line.

The Spartans started the game hot, connecting on five of its first six attempts to quickly claim a 10-4 lead. But, Milwaukee was up for the fight right away, battling back and drawing the gap to 14-10 at the end of the first after a layup by Ford-Washington.

UWM kept it close the entire second quarter, cutting the deficit to just one after a three pointer by Lizzie Odegard late in the half to make it a 30-29 game.

The Panthers were just never quite able to get over the hump though, as UNCG opened the second half on a 10-0 run. Milwaukee once again clawed its way back, using a 10-2 run of its own to make it 43-39 after another jumper from Ford-Washington late in the third.

But the Spartans used the loud home-court crowd to fuel another run to start the fourth quarter, going ahead 53-39 and keeping UWM at bay from there.

Both teams scored 28 points in the paint, with UNCG claiming a narrow 42-39 edge in rebounding on the night – just the eighth time all season the Panthers have been out-rebounded.

The key statistic of the night was the 17-8 edge in points off turnovers in favor of the Spartans, who forced 19 Milwaukee turnovers with a full-court pressure attack all night long.

It was a great run by UWM, playing its third game in the tournament in as many states and traveling a total of 1150 miles along the way.

The Panthers – playing in their second-straight postseason tournament for the first time in Division I history – say goodbye to their four seniors, with Sierra Ford-Washington, Alexis Lindstrom, Jordyn Swan and Christina Wakeman all playing in their final games for the Black & Gold.

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