Panthers, Raiders Square Off Thursday

First 200 Milwaukee students receive a free Panther replica jersey

MILWAUKEE – In a rematch of the Dec. 30 thriller down in Dayton, the Milwaukee women's basketball team will host Wright State Thursday evening at 7pm from the Klotsche Center. It's another heavyweight battle for the Panthers, as both teams enter with 16-6 records overall and sit tied for third at 7-3 in the Horizon-League standings.

The first 200 UWM students who attend Thursday's game will receive a replica Black & Gold jersey as they cheer on their fellow Panthers. Fans can also take advantage of a special concession deal featuring half price walking tacos.

THE FIRST TIME AROUND
Jenny Lindner and Steph Kostowicz both turned in double-doubles but it wasn't enough as Wright State scored the final six points in a back-and-forth battle for a 56-51 final in the heavyweight bout from the Nutter Center back on Dec. 30.

Alyssa Fischer came off the bench for nine points and Jamie Reit and Bailey Farley each notched career highs with nine rebounds. WSU was led by senior Chelsea Welch, who finished with 21 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

SERIES HISTORY
Bouncing back and forth, Milwaukee evened up the series at 26-26 after winning all three games against the Raiders during the 2015-16 season. But, WSU has won the last three to go back ahead.

UP NEXT
The five-game homestand for Milwaukee continues Saturday with a 2pm contest against Northern Kentucky.

LAST GAME
Milwaukee's defense was on full display Sunday afternoon as the Panthers smothered visiting UIC all game long for a 59-44 win from the Klotsche Center.

A close game at the break, the Panthers (16-6, 7-3 Horizon) regrouped and played lockdown defense nearly the entirety of the final 20 minutes for their second sizeable win over UIC (7-14, 0-10 Horizon) in a 13-day span.

"It's the second half of conference play," Milwaukee head coach Kyle Rechlicz said. "Every team in our league is very competitive, so we've got to be ready to play for each opponent and our team really did lock in. Now, we didn't come out with the energy and enthusiasm that I would like at the start of the game, but we got them motivated at half time and they found a way to turn it up – especially some players off of our bench."

Bailey Farley again led the team in scoring with 16 points to go with four rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal.

Jenny Lindner was solid on the boards and finished with a game-high eight rebounds to go with 13 points, while Steph Kostowicz had 10 points and four boards.

Akaylah Hayes and Ryaen Johnson came off the bench in the second half and lifted Milwaukee with their play, finishing with a combined eight points, five rebounds, two blocks and two steals, providing the spark their team needed in the final 20 minutes.

FASTEST TO FIFTEEN
With its win Jan. 20 at Detroit Mercy, Milwaukee improved its record to 15-5 overall. That marked the fastest to 15 wins for the Panthers in program history, surpassing a pair of 15-6 starts.

Now sitting at 16-6 overall, Milwaukee is tied with the 2001-02 squad that started 20-6.

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. That came just one season after going 19-13 and making the Postseason WNIT. Already with 16 wins this season, Milwaukee has already locked up its winningest three-season stretch with at least nine games still to go.

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.

In fact, Farley has a chance to reach 1,000 career points after her offensive surge this season. After netting 273 points in two years ago Loyola, she scored 277 last year for the Panthers and is now up to 247 already this season for a grand total of 797 with at least nine games left on the schedule.

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 has seemingly been on fire ever since, scoring in double digits in 16 of her 20 games this season. Kostowicz enters this Thursday's game with a sparkling .578 percentage from the field - 25th best in the entire NCAA.

SHØT BLØCKERS
Milwaukee has established an impressive knack for blocking shots this season. With at least nine games left this season, UWM has already racked up 82 blocks on the year - just two 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 2.1 blocks per game. Her season total thus far of 44 is already two more than her mark from all of last year and her 157 career blocks is just 10 away from Maria Viall's program record of 167.

A LOT OF CHARITY WORK
Kyle Rechlicz's teams have increasingly improved on their free-throw shooting, with last year's squad finishing with the second-highest percentage in program history at .784 for the year - trailing only the 2010-11 team that connected on 79-percent of their freebies.

This year's Panther squad is once again off to a strong start from the line, shooting .774 (302-390) as a team through 22 games - ranking tops in the conference and 11th in the entire nation.

A pair of Panthers crack the national rankings on the individual level, as well. Jenny Lindner - one of the top free-throw shooters in the nation a year ago - is at it again, ranking 63rd (.835) so far, while Steph Kostowicz is close behind at 140th (.794) in the country after hitting on 77 of her first 97 from the line this season.

DE-FENSE
Milwaukee has put together some lock-down showings on the defensive side of the ball this season, headlined by 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 14 times now this season (excluding overtime), including in both the second and fourth quarters against both NDSU and Illinois State.

The Panthers head into Sunday's game with their defense boasting some impressive national rankings, checking in at 57th in scoring defense (59.0 points/game against) and 61st in field-goal percentage defense (37.3%).

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 in a win, 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
Midway through the conference schedule, 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. Finally, Bailey Farley was named the Horizon League's Player of the Week Jan. 22 by College Sports Madness after turning in three impressive games - all on the road - to help her team to three more wins.

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 20 of the first 22 games to start the season. In fact, 13 of those 22 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 22 games, the Panthers are out-rebounding their opponents 877-678 for a +9.0 margin per game. That ranks 13th in the nation heading into Thursday'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 - two times
5. +14 at Drake (44-30)
6. +13 vs. Loyola (43-30)
7. +12 - three times

TAKING ON THE TOP TALENT
In their first 22 games of the season, the Panthers have faced quite a number of challenging foes, including six that were either ranked or receiving votes in the Mid-Major Top 25. Four of those six 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). Most recently, IUPUI snuck out a buzzer-beater win, 70-68 at Milwaukee Jan. 26.

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 21-point, 14-rebound performance - the majority coming in the second half - to help propel Milwaukee to another road win at Detroit Mercy Jan. 20. That marked the 17th career double-double for the Neillsville native, ranking tied for sixth in program history and just three shy of a tie for fifth place.

ROAD WARRIORS
UWM is back home after another road trip for the Panthers, who have played 14 of their first 20 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 10-4 record in road/neutral games. That already surpasses last year's regular season total of eight with at least four more road/neutral games still to come.

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.

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 6-2 at the Klotsche Center this season with a trio of emphatic wins. UWM is now 27-10 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.

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 Sunday's game, Lindner ranks fifth in scoring (1,514 points), eighth in rebounding (729), seventh in double-doubles (17) and third in games started (113). Meanwhile, Kostowicz sits at eighth in career scoring (1,423 points), third in rebounding (839), third in blocks (157) and third in double-doubles (29).

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 11 games still on the schedule.

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.

400 AND COUNTING!
Despite relying on the three-pointer much less this season, the Panthers have continued their impressive streak of games with at least one made shot from behind the arc. In fact, Milwaukee has made at least one three-point in every game dating back to an 0-for-4 showing against Marquette back on Nov. 26, 2002. That makes 477 games in a row heading into the game against the Raiders.

That run stands as a new league standard, after Alexis Lindstrom hit her first three pointer against Green Bay on Feb. 17 of last season, topping the previous mark of 446 set by Loyola. It's still a ways to go for the NCAA record, however, which is held by Iowa State. Their run was still active at the start of the of the 2017-18 season at 704 in a row (1995-present). 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. After three years of hard work, the Panthers broke through in her fourth season at the helm with an incredible campaign. 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.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

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

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

#2 Akaylah Hayes: G; 5' 11"; Junior

#25 Ryaen Johnson: F; 6' 2"; Redshirt Junior

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

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

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

Players Mentioned

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

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

#2 Akaylah Hayes
: 5' 11"; Junior
: G

#25 Ryaen Johnson
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Junior
: F

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

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

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