CHICAGO, Ill. - The Milwaukee women's basketball team tightened the defense after the half, owning a 38-35 advantage but couldn't gain ground from the first-half deficit, falling 94-65 to 16th-ranked DePaul. The Blue Demons forced 26 turnovers and turned them into 33 points at Wintrust Arena on Tuesday afternoon.
 
"I was disappointed with how we started the game," head coach Kyle Rechlicz commented. "We played almost scared and afraid to turn the ball over instead of being aggressive like we worked on. "At halftime we talked about playing without fear. I feel like in the second half, we were the aggressors, took ownership, and really started playing together as team."
 
In the first quarter, the Panthers (2-4) committed three turnovers in their first three possessions to get in an early hole but settled down and got on the board with a pair of baskets from Sydney Staver. After DePaul responded with a jumper, two Sydney Levy three-pointers pull Milwaukee within four at 14-10.
 
Anaiah Moore got behind the DePaul defense for a score, but the Blue Demons (5-1) continued to move the ball quickly and rattled off a 10-2 run over the last 2:30 to double up the Panthers at the end of the first. DePaul converted 52.9 percent of its shots from the floor in the period, hitting four triples.
 
The Blue Demons could not seem to miss in the second quarter, hitting 71.4 percent of their field goals including going 4-for-9 from three-point range. The Panthers used the strong DePaul pressure to their advantage, getting behind the defense on multiple occasions, but a 14-1 Blue Demons run had Milwaukee in a 59-27 hole at halftime.
 
Milwaukee ramped up the defense in the third quarter, holding DePaul without a field goal for the first three and a half minutes. Staver got things going for the Panthers, knocking down a three-pointer on the opening possession and Lizzie Odegard added a basket inside to cut into the deficit.
 
The Panthers continued to tighten the defense, holding DePaul to just 31.6 percent shooting. Meanwhile, Emma Wittmershaus knocked down a pair of baskets in the paint to help Milwaukee to a 7-0 run. Following a pair of Tadri Heard free throws with 43 seconds to go in the third, Milwaukee had a 17-16 advantage in the quarter, but a late DePaul layup gave the Blue Demons the edge through three.
 
Defense continued to be tough in the final frame as Milwaukee held DePaul 17 points on 6-for-18 shooting. Heard led the offensive attack for the Panthers, scoring seven points in the fourth on 3-for-5 shooting and capping off a 10-0 Milwaukee run with 1:24 to play.
 
The Blue Demons scored two more baskets, but Brandi Bisping converted two free throws and Alyssa Moore added a layup as Milwaukee earned the advantage in the second half.
 
Staver led Milwaukee with 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting while adding two rebounds, an assist, and three steals.
 
"Staver has a knack for scoring and has a quickness to get to the rim. Our staff is most proud that she is putting the time in," Rechlicz said. "She is constantly working on finishes and her outside shot. She is taking on a leadership mentality and becoming more of a scorer for us."
 
Odegard knocked down three field goals for six points and led the Panthers with six boards.
 
As a team, Milwaukee dished out 17 assists on 23 field goals led by McKaela Schmelzer's three. All 12 Panthers who entered the game scored at least one point and recorded at least one assist.
 
"I think we are a very unselfish team. We care about each other individually," Rechlicz stated. "We do need more consistency from some people as far as stepping up each night. I want to give credit to [Sydney] Levy as far as a shooting role. She had a lot rim out tonight, but it was good to have someone step into the shooter role."
 
DePaul knocked down 12 three-pointers, but the Panthers did not make it easy, holding the Blue Demons to 32.4 percent from beyond the arc. Lexi Held had 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting for DePaul.
 
Milwaukee will next head east as they fly to New York to take on Columbia University on Saturday, November 30. Tipoff from Levien Gymnasium is scheduled for 12:00 pm CT. Live coverage links for the matchup can be found on MKEPanthers.com.