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recap columbia
65
Columbia COL 2-1
78
Winner Milwaukee MKE 1-2
Columbia COL
2-1
65
Final
78
Milwaukee MKE
1-2
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Columbia COL 16 15 19 15 65
Milwaukee MKE 17 24 16 21 78

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Hayes, Walstad Power Panthers Past Columbia

Milwaukee gets 47 bench points in home win

MILWAUKEE – Akaylah Hayes and Megan Walstad combined for 35 points in a 78-65 win for the Milwaukee women's basketball team over Columbia Friday night from the Klotsche Center.
 
A total of 11 different Panthers (1-2) scored to help hand the Lions (2-1) their first loss of the season.
 
"It's nice for this young team to get a feeling of what (winning) feels like early on," Milwaukee head coach Kyle Rechlicz said. "We knew this was going to be a tough and scrappy game. Those Ivy-League players don't quit and I definitely commend their (Columbia's) coaching staff – they came in and gave us a really good fight."
 
Walstad had a big showing in just her third game of her young collegiate career, finishing with a game-high 18 points on 6-10 shooting in just 21 minutes of action.
 
Hayes doubled up her previous career high with 17 points on the night, going 7-8 from the free-throw line and 5-10 from the field. Hayes also hauled in six rebounds, one shy of her previous high. She also added a game-high three blocks, two assists and one steal in a stat-stuffing 24 minutes of action.
 
Bre Cera, McKaela Schmelzer and Alyssa Fischer each chipped in with eight points, while Lizzie Odegard made her first start of the season and finished with seven points and a career-high 10 rebounds.
 
Freshman standout Sienna Durr finished with 17 points and five rebounds to lead the way for Columbia.
 
After leading by 13 points after a three-pointer from Cera right out of halftime, the Lions were able to cut Milwaukee's lead down to just three with 1:42 left in the third. Ryaen Johnson got to the line and hit both of her free throws before a jumper from Fischer built the lead back to seven at the end of the frame.
 
Already with momentum inching back in their favor, Fischer made sure there would be no comeback on this night with a pair of three's early in the fourth to make it 64-50 with 7:51 left. Walstad's triple with 2:59 left put MKE ahead, 75-60, and free throws from Jaye Two Bears and Sydney Levy pushed the lead all the way to 16 before closing the books on win No. 1 of the season for the young Panthers.
 
"I think a big part of (responding to Columbia's run) was McKaela," Rechlicz said. "She really has a good understanding of what we're looking for at the point-guard position…She was able to calm us down and get us organized again.
 
"We've still got a long way to go on the defensive end…but with where we're at on the season, this was a great win for us."
 
Columbia actually finished the night out-shooting Milwaukee, .421 to .365. The Panthers were able to get to the free-throw line 37 times on the night, connecting on 25. MKE also out-rebounded the visiting Lions, 43-35, and held Columbia to just five offensive boards on the night.
 
Also notable, Milwaukee finished the night with 47 points off the bench, a 31-point edge over Columbia's nonstarters.
 
Up next, MKE starts three games next week in the state of California with a Tuesday night contest from Fresno State, with tip time set for 7 pm Pacific.
 
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