Thanksgiving Classic Starts Friday For Women’s Basketball

Panthers close out California trip with back-to-back games

MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee women's basketball team will look to get back on track with a pair of contests at the Saint Mary's Thanksgiving Classic, starting Friday. The Panthers will take on the host Gaels Friday in a 4 pm Central contest from McKeon Pavilion, before going up against UC Riverside less than 24 hours later in a 2 pm Central game Saturday. Matt Menzl will be on the call for both games on the Black & Gold Network, as the Panthers look to close out their California trip on a high note.

LOOKING AT THE GAELS
Saint Mary's holds a 2-1 record in the early going, claiming six-point wins over both Wyoming and Washington State before falling to No. 8 Oregon State by 33 on Saturday. The Gaels are shooting an incredible .500 from the floor as a team on the young season, and feature four players averaging 10.3 points/game or more. SMC has finished with 20 or more wins in each of its last seven seasons.

LOOKING AT THE HIGHLANDERS
The Highlanders had a very busy start to their season, playing five games in the first 12 days. After dropping the first three, the team bounced back with home wins over Southern Utah (56-50) and Coastal Carolina (63-43). Five different players all average between 10.3 and 11.8 points/game for UC Riverside, which will play No. 3 Oregon on Friday before taking on the Panthers on Saturday.

SERIES HISTORY
Milwaukee is 1-1 all time against Saint Mary's, with both outings coming in separate seasons but in the same calendar year. The Panthers dropped an 82-62 affair in Moraga in the first game of 2001, before bouncing back with a 67-51 win over the Gaels in Milwaukee Dec. 28 of the following season.

Meanwhile, MKE and UC Riverside have never squared off before on the hardwood. The Panthers and Highlanders have actually met just once across all sports, with that outing coming oddly enough earlier this season in a neutral-site volleyball match.

UP NEXT
The Panthers return to Milwaukee but will continue their four-game road trip on Wednesday, playing cross-town rival Marquette at 7 pm from the Al McGuire Center.

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