CHICAGO, Ill. – The Milwaukee women's basketball team shot nearly 70 percent in the fourth quarter to earn a comeback win over UIC 66-60 on Sunday afternoon. The Panthers erased a 13-point second half deficit and scored 29 points in the final frame to complete the victory at Credit Union 1 Arena.
 
Down 13 with 8:23 to play, the Panthers got a big spark from McKaela Schmelzer, who had six points and four assists in the fourth quarter alone. Milwaukee (12-15, 9-7 Horizon League) found a way to cut the deficit to single digits and then rallied in the fourth.
 
"We're one of those teams that when we can get our energy behind us, we find ways to step up," head coach Kyle Rechlicz stated. "For as much as I don't want to be the comeback fourth quarter team, I would love it if we always played a fourth quarter like we have the last two games."
 
After UIC's Jada Nneji opened the fourth with a jumper to go up seven, Sydney Levy and Sydney Staver combined for 11 of the game's next 15 points to put Milwaukee up four with 6:57 to play.
 
The Flames (3-25, 2-15 Horizon League) drilled another three-pointer to pull within one but and and-one from Schmelzer sparked a 7-0 run to put the Panthers in control 57-49.
 
UIC would not go away, however, and fought back to trail 60-57 with 1:33 remaining. Lizzie Odegard, Levy, and Alyssa Moore responded, combining for five straight free throws to put Milwaukee in front by eight.
 
The Flames got another triple to fall but with just nine seconds on the clock and the Panthers hung on for the win.
 
Levy was on fire in the final frame, scoring 10 points on 3-for-4 shooting and finished the game with 12 points.
 
A game after battling with IUPUI's top scorer, Odegard shouldered the load once again. The senior played a team-high 33 minutes and finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
 
"I can' say enough about her [Lizzie]," Rechlicz stated. "She's taking this whole 'being a senior' to the next level. She's performing on both the defensive end and had an unbelievable offensive night. She had some incredible passes out of the post when they had to double her and I couldn't keep her off the floor."
 
Neither team could get going offensively in the first half. Milwaukee shot 28 percent while UIC connected on 35.7 percent of its shots. The Flames held the Panthers to just six points in the second quarter to lead at the half 28-18.
 
Schmelzer owned the floor and finished with nine points, five rebounds, and a season-high seven assists with just one turnover.
 
"She [McKaela] was one that really took over. She had the team follow her through her pace and play and has a natural ability to get to the rim," Rechlicz continued. "I was really proud of her and I thought this was her best game of the season."
 
The Panthers shot 64 percent in the second half including a 9-for-13 (69.2 percent) performance in the final frame. After hitting just one triple before halftime, Milwaukee went 7-for-12 from long range in the second.
 
Up next, Milwaukee returns for the final homestand of the regular season. The Panthers host Youngstown State on Thursday, February 27 at 7:00 pm, sponsored by Mountain Dew. Tickets and live coverage links can be found on MKEPanthers.com.