MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The Milwaukee women's basketball team exploded for 27 points in the fourth quarter to topple Detroit Mercy 76-51 on Sunday afternoon. The Titans erased a 16-point halftime deficit and pulled within six before the Panthers turned it on late to earn their fourth straight victory.
 
"I thought we played with a lot of balance and poise especially in the first half," Head Coach Kyle Rechlicz commented. "We weren't hitting a ton in the first half but really started getting that flow going in the second."
 
Ball movement was key for Milwaukee as it dished out a season-best 20 assists led by Alyssa Moore's career-high six. The redshirt sophomore finished plus-26 in 15 minutes of action and totaled two points, two rebounds, two steals, and six assists with no turnovers.
 
The Panthers (11-14, 8-6 Horizon League) got it rolling early with a 9-0 run to open the game before Detroit Mercy finally found the scoreboard with a triple at the 3:38 mark in the first.
 
Jamie Reit scored six early points in the second quarter to lead Milwaukee on another big run, outscoring the Titans 21-4 through 7:21 of action.
 
A quick 8-0 burst had Detroit Mercy (3-22, 3-11 Horizon League) within 14 but another jumper from Reit put Milwaukee on top 36-20 heading into the locker room.
 
After halftime, the Titans took advantage of some Panthers' miscues and found some rhythm offensively to put together a run of their own and pull within six at 39-33, but Sydney Staver helped pick Milwaukee back up.
 
Staver scored five points and Sydney Levy added a triple and the Panthers were quickly back on top double digits. The defense did their part as well, holding Detroit Mercy to just 1-for-10 shooting over the final five minutes.
 
It was all Milwaukee in the fourth quarter as the Panthers finished 9-for-15 (60 percent) from the floor and 4-for-5 (80 percent) from three-point range to extend their lead over 20. Milwaukee recorded seven assists on the nine field goals in the final frame.
 
Four different players reached double digits for the Panthers led by Reit's 17 points. The senior recorded her fifth straight game with at least 10 points as she finished 7-for-11 from the field.
 
"Jamie is one that is tough to keep off the court right now," Rechlicz stated. "She's doing it from all over. We just need her on the court because she's providing a lot of leadership and I couldn't be more proud of her."
 
Levy buried four triples on her way to scoring 16 points and added five rebounds and three assists while Brandi Bisping (13 points) and Staver (12) also reached double digits.
 
"I thought Sydney [Staver] gave us a really good lift in the second half. It was nice to see because she's so capable," Rechlicz commented. "I also thought Alyssa [Moore] came off the bench and provided a huge spark."
 
The Panthers knocked down at least 10 three-pointers for the third time in four games, finishing 12-for-25 (48 percent) from beyond the arc.
 
"I'm proud of the effort and intensity but I think we are also finding open opportunities and getting them great looks," Rechlicz said.
 
Milwaukee will look for their fifth straight as the Panthers next hit the road for the final time this regular season, taking on IUPUI on Friday, February 21. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 pm CT with live coverage links available on MKEPanthers.com.