Saturday Matinee Sees Panthers Take On Detroit Mercy

Milwaukee looks to extend winning streak to five

MILWAUKEE – Winners of four in row, the Milwaukee women's basketball team heads to Calihan Hall Saturday for a Noon Central contest against Detroit Mercy. The Panthers are hoping to close out their three-game road swing on a high note, while the Titans will look to open up their double header with the men's team (playing Oakland at 3pm) with a big win. Saturday's game is the fifth in 10 days for UWM.

LOOKING AT THE TITANS
It's been a challenging season for the Titans. After coming up just short in last year's Horizon League Tournament Championship, UDM has dropped 17 of its first 18 games this season. Despite their record, the Titans have kept things close in a number of their games.

Senior forward Brianne Cohen leads Detroit Mercy with 14.4 points per game and is one of the top shot blockers in the Horizon League.

SERIES HISTORY
The Panthers and Titans split their season series a year ago, with each team winning on its home court. UDM holds a slight 25-28 lead in the all-time series entering Saturday. Milwaukee will look for its first win at Detroit Mercy since 2015.

UP NEXT
Milwaukee will enjoy a three-week stretch at home, playing its next five games at the Klotsche Center, starting Friday, Jan. 26 against IUPUI.

LAST GAME
Four players scored in double figures as Milwaukee put together an impressive four-quarter performance for a 74-62 road win over Oakland at the O'rena Thursday.

The Panthers (14-5, 5-2 Horizon) shot a season-high 95.5 percent (21-22) from the free throw line, including 9-10 in the fourth quarter to ice the game away.

"This was a huge win for us," Milwaukee head coach Kyle Rechlicz said. "Oakland's pace is something you can't really prepare for, especially when we have such a short turnaround from one game to the next. We're in this stretch of five games in 10 days. So, we knew this was going to be a battle tonight coming in. We had to switch up our defense numerous times just so they couldn't get in the flow of things.

"I was really proud of our team's preparation coming in. I felt like they really knew what Oakland was going to do on the offensive end and how to maintain some of their players."

Steph Kostowicz had a dominant showing with 16 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and three blocks.

Bailey Farley continued her hot streak, joining Kostowicz with a game-high 16 points, going 8-8 from the charity stripe. She also stuffed the stat sheet with five rebounds, three assists and two steals.

FARLEY ON FIRE
Bailey Farley has made the most of an increased role during her senior season. The Fort Wayne, Ind. native went off for a career-high 24 points in the road win at Northwestern and has been on a tear ever since, setting new career highs in seemingly every statistical category. After dishing out a career-best six assists in a win at Northern Kentucky Dec. 28, Farley reigned in nine rebounds one game later at Wright State. She also set a new high three blocks at UIC Jan. 15 before going 8-8 from the free throw line in a career-best 37 points at Oakland Jan. 18.

GETTING EVERYONE INVOLVED
Coach Rechlicz has a much deeper bench this season compared to years past, as evident to just how many different people can score for UWM this year. Milwaukee has had at least 10 different players score in a single game seven times already this year, with six of those seven featuring 11 or more scorers. The season high came against North Dakota State when 12 different players got in on the fun. When 11 players scored Jan. 15 at UIC, that marked surpassed last year's total of six games with that many scorers with at least 13 games still on the schedule.

REIT PLACE, REIT TIME
Sophomore Jamie Reit may not have been the designed recipient of last Saturday's game-winning shot, but the sophomore was Johnny on the spot when the ball came her way, drilling the mid-range jumper as time expired to send Milwaukee past Youngstown State, 62-61.

SHØT BLØCKERS
Milwaukee has established an impressive knack for blocking shots this season. With at least 12 games left this season, UWM has already racked up 75 blocks on the year - just nine shy of last season's final tally. This year's mark is on pace to be potentially one of the best in school history, with the program record standing at 109 from the 2008-09 season.

Individually, Steph Kostowicz has been a force with a league-leading 2.3 blocks per game. Her season total thus far of 43 is already one more than her mark from all of last season and her 156 career blocks is just 11 away from Maria Viall's program record of 167.

LIKING LEAGUE PLAY
After playing a challenging non-conference schedule, a pair of Panther guards have thrived since league play started. Redshirt sophomore Alyssa Fischer is second in the Horizon League in three-point percentage over the last three-plus weeks, hitting just under 50 percent of her shots from deep thus far. Redshirt freshman McKaela Schmelzer is also making the most of conference play thus far, upping her assist average to 3.6 per game - sixth best overall.

DE-FENSE
Milwaukee has put together some lock-down showings on the defensive side of the ball recently, including the Dec. 1 performance against North Dakota State. The Panthers limited the Bison to just 38 total points - the ninth time over the past two-plus seasons UWM has held an opponent to 50 points or less in a game. In fact, that marks the fewest points allowed by Milwaukee since head coach Kyle Rechlicz took over the program in 2012 and the third-fewest points allowed in the program's Division-I history. The Panthers also held Bison to just 29-percent shooting for the game - the second time this season UWM has held its opponent below 30 percent for four quarters.

UWM has also held teams to single digits in the scoring column for an entire quarter 12 times now this season (excluding overtime), including in both the second and fourth quarters against both NDSU and Illinois State.

The Panthers head into Saturday's game with their defense boasting some impressive national rankings, checking in at 56th in scoring defense (59.1 points/game against) and 53rd in field-goal percentage defense (37.0%).

COMEBACK KIDS
The Panthers have proven multiple times this season that they should never be counted out of any game.

Milwaukee has already put together a pair of 15-point comeback efforts this season, doing so against Northern Kentucky (Dec. 28) and Cleveland State (Jan. 11) in the early going on conference play. Those both mark the largest come-from-behind wins since the Panthers turned a 44-28 deficit (16 points) into a 60-57 win over Toledo back in 2011.

That also marks the fourth time this season UWM has erased double-digit deficits, trailing at Western Illinois by 13 in the second half Nov. 26 before winning by 10. Milwaukee also trailed Illinois State by 10 Dec. 7 before claiming an overtime win.

In all, the Panthers now have five comeback wins already this season. Fans shouldn't be too surprised by Milwaukee's comeback efforts though. UWM set a program record with seven come-from-behind (trailing at halftime) wins last season, besting the previous mark of six set back in the 2006-07 season.

LEAGUE HONORS
Still early in conference play, Milwaukee has already turned in some of the top performances in the entire Horizon League. Steph Kostowicz was named Horizon League Player of the Week after just the first week of the season, going off for 26 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks, two assists and one steal at perennial power Drake in the Preseason WNIT. Then, Jenny Lindner was named player of the week by the conference after pouring in a career-high 34 points to go with 10 rebounds in the road win at Western Illinois Nov. 26. Lindner then was honored once again after averaging a double-double last week in a pair of wins over Cleveland State and Youngstown State.

WORKING THE GLASS
Milwaukee has prided itself in its ability to control the boards over the past few years. Last season, the Panthers won the rebounding battle in 26 of their 34 games. That dominance has carried over into this season, with Milwaukee claiming the rebounding edge in 18 of the first 19 games to start the season. In fact, 11 of those 19 games have finished with a double-digit advantage by UWM, with the season high so far coming in the Dec. 1 drubbing of NDSU as Milwaukee finished that game with a 53-28 edge on the boards.

Through its first 19 games, the Panthers are out-rebounding their opponents 773-594 for a +9.4 margin per game. That ranks 15th in the nation heading into Saturday's game.

Here's a look at the best rebounding performances thus far this season by UWM:

1. +25 vs. NDSU (53-28)
2. +23 at Chicago State (42-19)
3. +16 vs. Youngstown State (42-26)
4. +15 at Oakland (45-30)
5. +14 at Drake (44-30)
6. +13 vs. Loyola (43-30)
7. +12 - three times

TAKING ON THE TOP TALENT
In just their first 19 games of the season, the Panthers have faced quite a number of challenging foes, including five that were either ranked or receiving votes in the Mid-Major Top 25. Four of those five early season meetings took place on the road. UWM opened the season with a narrow 77-73 loss at Drake (Nov. 10) before an impressive 77-67 win at Western Illinois (Nov. 26). Milwaukee then dropped a 56-51 decision at Wright State (Dec. 30) and a 52-29 contest at Green Bay (Jan. 6), before an impressive 79-72 win over Cleveland State (Jan. 11).

DOUBLE VISION
After turning in two double-doubles as a freshman, Steph Kostowicz has been a machine at putting together 10+ performances in points and rebounds. With her 16-point, 13-rebound performance Jan. 18 against Oakland, Kostowicz now has 29 double-doubles in her collegiate career. That ranks her third in program history, two past former Panther great Lindsay Laur.

Teammate Jenny Lindner is also steadily climbing that chart in this season's early going. The senior turned in a 19-point, 11-rebound performance as the catalyst in the comeback win over Cleveland State Jan. 11. That marked the 16th career double-double for the Neillsville native, ranking seventh in program history and just one shy of a tie for sixth place.

ROAD WARRIORS
UWM is currently once again on the road - a familiar story for the Panthers, who will play 17 of their 30 regular season games away from the Klotsche Center this season. Milwaukee has proven to feel right at home on the road so far this year, with a 9-4 record in road/neutral games. That already matches last year's regular season total of eight with at least five more road/neutral games still to come.

CRACKING THE POLLS
The Panthers dropped out of the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll for the first time in a month after the loss at Green Bay. The rankings - voted on by Division I Women's Basketball coaches - debuted Milwaukee at No. 25 back on Dec. 12, with the Panthers staying in the top-25 for three straight weeks.

MORE B1G WINS
With wins over both Northwestern (Dec. 3) and Wisconsin (Dec. 14) this season, the Panthers now own two wins over Big Ten foes in the same season for the first time in program history. While it marks just the eighth and ninth wins all-time against the current Big Ten schools, the success should come as no surprise. Milwaukee thumped the Badgers, 80-63, at home a year ago and dropped a 65-63 heartbreaker to NU a few weeks later. That came one year after nearly upsetting Minnesota in the WNIT to close out the 2015-16 season.

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
With a 9-3 non-conference record, Milwaukee wrapped up this season's early going with the best non-conference start in Division-I history. This year's squad surpassed last year's 8-3 mark and the 1997-98 team's 8-4 record.

SHE SHOOTS, SHE SCORES
Steph Kostowicz has come out of the gates on fire to start her senior season. The 6-2 forward opened the season with 26 points on 9-14 shooting from the floor and a perfect 8-8 showing from the free throw line. Then, in the Nov. 21 home opener, Kostowicz racked up another 19 points while going 8-10 from the floor. She then duplicated that feat Dec. 10 at Fort Wayne, again finishing 8-10 from the floor with 19 points. Kostowicz enters this Saturday's game with a sparkling .569 percentage from the field - 27th best in the entire NCAA.

GOING STREAKING
The Dec. 17 loss to Marquette brought Milwaukee's eight-game win streak to a close. The impressive run finishes tied as the fourth longest in the Division-I history of the program, with only a pair of nine-game runs and the school-record 12-game streak longer than this year's early season start. It also marks the fourth time in the last two-plus seasons the Panthers have put together at least five consecutive wins, with this year's run setting the new mark for the longest under head coach Kyle Rechlicz.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
The Panthers have certainly enjoyed playing in front of their home fans recently. Milwaukee went an impressive 12-3 at home last season and is already 5-1 at the Klotsche Center this season with a pair of emphatic wins. UWM is now 26-9 over the past two-plus seasons when playing in front of their home fans.

In fact, the Panthers recently closed out a 10-game home winning streak with the win over Illinois State Dec. 7. That finishes as the fourth-longest home win streak in the team's Division I history.

WINNING BIG
The Panthers have made a habit lately of posting some rather lopsided wins. Milwaukee put together nine 20-plus-point wins a season ago and has already done so four times this season. It started in the home opener with a 22-point smothering of Loyola (63-41) Nov. 21 before steamrolling North Dakota State by a whopping 36 points (74-38) Dec. 1 and a 25-point (84-59) handling of Chicago State Dec. 21. Most recently, the Panthers dropped UIC by 23 (76-53) on the road Jan. 15 in the early going of conference play.

Milwaukee's big win over NDSU marked the fifth-largest margin of victory for UWM since they moved to Division I heading into the 1990-91 season. Milwaukee only has two bigger wins in the last 15 years - the 38-point handling of LIU-Brooklyn last year and the school-record 54-point victory over Youngstown State back on Feb. 2, 2002.

PILING UP THE WINS
Over the past two seasons, Milwaukee has been racking up the total in the win column. The Panthers eclipsed the 20-win mark for just the third time in program history last season, finishing with a program-record-tying 22 wins on their way to the WBI Semifinals. Additionally, that marked the first time UWM has had back-to-back seasons with at least 16 wins since doing so in three-straight years from 99-2000 through 01-02.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS
It's no secret Jenny Lindner and Steph Kostowicz have already left their mark on this program heading into their senior year. The duo both eclipsed both the 1000-point and 500-rebound milestones as juniors and have continued to climb up the statistical charts. Entering Saturday's game, Lindner ranks sixth in scoring (1,470 points), eighth in rebounding (704), seventh in double-doubles (16) and fourth in games started (110). Meanwhile, Kostowicz sits at eighth in career scoring (1,405 points), third in rebounding (832), third in blocks (156) and third in double-doubles (29).

PRESEASON RANKS
The Horizon League released its preseason rankings as voted on by coaches, media members and SIDs, with the Panthers picked to once again battle for the top this season. Milwaukee was tabbed fourth overall this year with 129 points, behind only Green Bay (246), Wright State (204) and Oakland (139). Steph Kostowicz was once again recognized when the votes were announced, earning preseason first-team all-league honors for the second-straight year.

MAKING A NAME FOR HERSELF
Head coach Kyle Rechlicz was named the seventh coach in program history in May of 2012. After three years of hard work, the Panthers broke through in her fourth season at the helm with an incredible campaign last year. Milwaukee racked up 19 wins, finished second in the Horizon League and earned a trip to the WNIT. All that work did not go unnoticed, as Rechlicz was named Horizon League Coach of the Year at the end of that season, making her just the second coach in program history to earn that honor. She followed that up with an impressive 22 wins in 2016-17, tying the school record in that category and helping guide the team to its second consecutive postseason berth.

CATCH ALL THE ACTION
Fans will have the opportunity to watch the Panthers all season long. All 13 of Milwaukee's home games will be carried live online at ESPN3, with 10 road contests also streaming live through ESPN, as well as the entirety of the Horizon League Tournament. An additional six games this season will be streamed through various opponent platforms. Milwaukee women's basketball will also make its TV debut on FOX Sports Wisconsin this season when they host Marquette inside the Klotsche Center on Dec. 17, with Bob Brainerd and former UWM great Maria Viall once again calling the action.

Panther fans will also be able to listen to this year's games everywhere they go, as Matt Menzl calls all the action on the Black & Gold Network. Menzl will be courtside for all 30 regular season contests, as well as the exhibition game against Cornell and all postseason action. The Black & Gold Network is streaming live online and can be accessed at MKEPanthers.com.

BLACK & GOLD ON DEMAND
Panther fans can also re-live all of the action by listening to archived games on the Black & Gold Radio Network. All games are chronicled at mixlr.com/milwaukee-panthers/showreel, where fans can re-live Matt Menzl's broadcast in its entirety.

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Players Mentioned

#4 Bailey Farley: G; 5' 10"; Redshirt Senior

#21 Alyssa Fischer: G; 5' 9"; Redshirt Sophomore

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

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

#10 Jamie Reit: G; 5' 9"; Sophomore

#3 McKaela Schmelzer: G; 5' 7"; Redshirt Freshman

Players Mentioned

#4 Bailey Farley
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Senior
: G

#21 Alyssa Fischer
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Sophomore
: G

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

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

#10 Jamie Reit
: 5' 9"; Sophomore
: G

#3 McKaela Schmelzer
: 5' 7"; Redshirt Freshman
: G