Penguins Come To Campus For Annual School Day Contest

Panthers take on league leaders for second-straight game

MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee women's basketball team returns home for a Thursday matinee against Youngstown State, starting at 11 am from the Klotsche Center. Thursday morning is the annual School Day game for the Panthers, with over 2,000 students expected to be on hand from area schools for the big game - the sixth-straight year Milwaukee has hosted local schools for a day game.

LOOKING AT THE PENGUINS
Youngstown State comes to Milwaukee sporting a 12-3 overall record and ranked 24th in this week's Mid-Major poll. As has been the case in previous YSU hot starts, the Penguins are shooting the ball very well in the early going. The difference this year has been their defense, as they enter Thursday's game ranked 11th nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 53.5 points/game. Teams are shooting just 33.3 percent on the season against the Guins, the eighth best mark in the country.

YSU leads the league in a number of statistical categories, including rebounding margin (+8.1), assists (17.0/game), free throw percentage (.724) and three pointers/game (8.9).

THE LAST TIME THEY MET
As they have done so many times this season, Milwaukee erased a 17-point second-half deficit only to see Youngstown State answer back to win 62-58 in the Little Caesars Horizon League Championships quarterfinal showdown.

In a rematch of a pair of one-point games earlier this season, the Penguins (16-14) frustrated Milwaukee's (20-11) attack for the first three quarters to build a 48-31 lead late into the third.

The Panthers scored the next 20 points to storm back and take a 51-48 lead with 3:36 to play. From there the game went back-and-forth, with Milwaukee showing its fight all the way to the end only to fall just four points shy.

SERIES HISTORY
MKE holds a 27-15 all-time edge over YSU. The two teams have had a number of memorable games of late, with each of the last eight contests being decided by eight points or fewer.

UP NEXT
The Panthers will play host to Cleveland State Saturday for a 2 pm contest.

Print Friendly Version