MILWAUKEE, Wis. - The Milwaukee women's basketball team knocked off cross-town rival Marquette University on Wednesday to improve to 3-0 for the first time since 1988-89. On Sunday, the Panthers wrap up their non-conference schedule with a trip to the Stroh Center to take on Bowling Green. Live audio with Matt Menzl on the call along with a link for live stats for the 11:00 am matchup can be found on MKEPanthers.com.
 
With no fans permitted at many venues this season including the Klotsche Center through November and December, fans can engage with the Panthers' Virtual Gameday hub, a page on MKEPanthers.com that houses any and all links fans will need for that gameday experience.
 
SCOUTING THE FALCONS
Bowling Green moved to 2-0 this season with wins over Valparaiso and Northern Kentucky. The Falcons return senior Madisen Parker and junior Kadie Hempfling who each started 31 games a year ago but have a young roster with 10 underclassmen. In total, BGSU has one of the youngest rosters in the country with an average age of 19.93 years old.
 
In the Mid-American Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, Bowling Green was predicted to finish 11th of 12 teams.
 
Despite the young roster, Parker and Hempfling bring plenty of firepower. Parker led the nation in three-point percentage in 2019-20 and knocked down a school record 98 triples. Hempfling has been a constant starter for third-year head coach Robyn Fralick with 62 starts under her belt. Last year, she averaged 9.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. Senior center Angela Perry is also back after averaging 14.0 points, 4.5 points, and 1.2 blocks last season.
 
LAST TIME THEY MET
Senior Lizzie Odegard recorded her second double-double of the season, but the Panthers fell 63-51 to Bowling Green at home. MKE shot just 31.3 percent in the loss.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Bowling Green owns a 5-2 all-time record over Milwaukee, winning three in row against the Panthers. MKE has not beaten Bowling Green since 2001 when the Panthers dominated for a 77-52 victory.
 
WHATS ON TAP?
The Panthers head into the Horizon League schedule beginning with Green Bay on December 12-13. This year, the league schedule features contests on back-to-back days at the same location. MKE then returns to the Klotsche Center on December 19-20 to host Robert Morris.
 
LAST TIME OUT
A hot start and composure down the stretch helped the Panthers take down cross-town rival Marquette University 64-55 on Wednesday afternoon. The Panthers finished 12-for-12 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter to fend off a Golden Eagles comeback and moved to 3-0 for the first time since the 1988-89 season.
 
YEAR 50
November 25 not only marked this year's season opener, but it was also the start of the 50th season of Milwaukee women's basketball. Kyle Rechlicz, in her ninth season, is the seventh coach in program history and third with at least 100 victories. As a program since inception in 1971-72, the Panthers have totaled 13 conference or district championships, two NCAA Tournament appearances, 19 Bud K. Haidet Hall of Famers, nine All-Americans, and much more.
 
KEEP 'EM COMING
Milwaukee picked up its third straight victory and moved to 3-0 for the first time in its NCAA Division I era. The last time MKE started 3-0 was as a member of the NAIA in 1988-89 when the Panthers opened the year with wins over St. Mary's, La Crosse, and Winona State. That year, Milwaukee finished 19-10 overall, falling to Platteville in the NAIA District 14 Tournament.
 
KNOCKIN' DOWN THE FREE ONES
The Panthers continue to be strong at the free throw line in 2020-21. After going 2-for-4 in the first half on Wednesday, Milwaukee went 14-for-15 after halftime and hit its last 12 in a row to finish 16-for-19 (84.2 percent). The Panthers are currently 61-for-75 (81.3 percent) this season which places them 19th in the nation. Milwaukee's 61 made free throws are the 10th most in NCAA Division I and fourth most among teams that have played three games or more. The Panthers school record for free throw percentage is 79.0 which was set in 2010-11.
 
WONDERFUL WALSTAD
In the win over Marquette, Megan Walstad recorded her second career double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Walstad's 11 rebounds gave her double digit boards in three straight games, the first MKE player to accomplish that feat since Steph Kostowicz in March 2017. Walstad currently ranks 36th in the nation with 11.3 rebounds per game.
 
DEFENSE ON LOCK-DOWN
Milwaukee's defense has been on another level so far season. The Panthers have held all three opponents to 60 points or less, with each shooting less than 38 percent. In the three games, the opposition is just 10-for-50 (20.0 percent) from three-point range. Milwaukee's three-point defense currently ranks 28th in the nation. Of the 27 teams ahead of the Panthers in three-point defense, only Georgia Tech and the University of Incarnate Word have also played at least three games.
 
FINDING HER STROKE
Senior McKaela Schmelzer has really started to find her shot early on in the season, averaging 11.0 points per game. Against Marquette, Schmelzer knocked down three triples and scored a career-high 15 points. She now leads the Panthers with five three-pointers in three games. With 11 points against Bradley and Schemlzer's team-best 15 against Marquette, it marks the first time in her career that she has reached double digits in back-to-back games. In three games, Schmelzer is averaging 11.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game.
 
FOURTH QUARTER MAGIC
The Panthers have really shined in the fourth quarter this season, scoring at least 20 points in the final 10 minutes of each contest. Milwaukee is averaging 22 points per game in the fourth quarter, shooting 41.7 percent from the floor and 85 percent (34-for-40) from the free throw line.
 
A DIFFERENT LOOK
The 2020-21 campaign will be anything but normal as the Horizon League released a 20-game schedule for each team with schools playing one league opponent twice each week with games taking place on consecutive days at the same location. Milwaukee has just four non-conference bouts on its schedule, all wrapping up by December 6. The season opener on Wednesday, November 25 is the latest the Panthers have opened the year since 1994-95 when Milwaukee also began its season on November 25.
 
CATCH ALL THE ACTION
Although the Milwaukee Athletic Department announced it will not host spectators for any home men's or women's basketball games in the months of November and December, fans will have the opportunity to watch the Panthers all season long. All of Milwaukee's home games will be carried live online at ESPN+. Additional information for road game coverage can be found online.
 
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 calling the action for all regular season contests as well as 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.