MILWAUKEE, Wis. - The Milwaukee women's basketball team returns to the Klotsche Center this weekend, looking to extend its unbeaten Horizon League start. Tipoff for both Friday and Saturday against Purdue Fort Wayne is scheduled for 6:00 pm. Live audio with Matt Menzl on the call along with a link for live stats can be found on MKEPanthers.com.
 
With no fans permitted at many venues this season including the Klotsche Center through at least January 15, 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 MASTODONS
Purdue Fort Wayne currently sits at 0-8 overall and 0-6 in Horizon League play but has not had an easy road for the newcomers. The Mastodons have been swept by IUPUI, Northern Kentucky, and Cleveland State, who have a combined league record of 12-2.
 
PFW had struggled on both ends of the court, ranking last in the Horizon League in field goal percentage (32.1) and opponent field goal percentage (49.9).
 
Sophomore guard Riley Ott has been a bright spot for fifth year head coach Niecee Nelson as she leads the team with 12.3 points and 1.6 assists per game
 
The Mastodons like to shoot the three, totaling 192 attempts in eight games. Redshirt senior Hannah Hess has 14 triples on the year but has connected on just 29.2 percent of her attempts. As a team, PDF shoots 21.4 percent from long range.
 
LAST TIME THEY MET
The two teams last met in 2018 with Milwaukee earning a 70-48 victory at the Klotsche Center. The Panthers held the Mastodons to just 24.1 percent shooting including zero field goals in the first 13 minutes of action. Megan Walstad totaled 12 points and 7 rebounds for MKE.
 
SERIES HISTORY
The Panthers own a 4-2 all-time advantage over Purdue Fort Wayne including winning three straight dating back to 2015. On its home court, Milwaukee is 3-0 against the Horizon League newcomers. The Panthers have a margin of 16.8 points in their four victories over the Mastodons.
 
WHATS ON TAP?
The Panthers remain at the Klotsche Center as they host Cleveland State on back-to-back days from January 15-16. It is a morning tipoff for the two, with each game scheduled for an 11:00 am start.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Everything was clicking for Milwaukee as the Panthers rolled to a 77-38 victory over Detroit Mercy. MKE shot a season-best 56.3 percent and held the Titans to just 24.0 percent from the floor.
 
POWERING THROUGH LEAGUE PLAY
Milwaukee earned its third straight Horizon League sweep to move to 6-0 for the first time since 2001-02 when the Panthers opened league play 7-0.
 
Dating back to last season, MKE has won nine straight league matchups. The longest winning streak the Panthers have had in Horizon League action dates back to the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. MKE won 12 straight league contests from January 28, 2006 to January 6, 2007.
 
Milwaukee's 9-1 mark is the program's best in its 50-year history.
 
COLLEGE INSIDER TOP 25 POLL
Milwaukee moved up three spots to No. 10 in the College Insider Mid-Major poll after sweeping Detroit Mercy. As of January 6, the Panthers have the most wins (9) if any top 10 team.  The Panthers' only loss of the season was to Bowling Green, who is now 7-1 and ranked No. 18 in the poll. Fellow Horizon League member IUPUI (8-1 overall) checks in at No. 6 in the poll.
 
MAMMOTH MARGINS
The Panthers earned 21-point and 39-point victories over Detroit Mercy this past weekend, the largest combined margin in a two-game stretch since 2016 when Milwaukee beat LIU Brooklyn and Vermont by a combined 62 points in back-to-back games.
 
MKE's 21-point win on Friday is the second largest halftime turnaround in program history after being down by two at the break. On November 26, 2008, the Panthers were down five at the half but bounced back to win by 23.
 
The Panthers 39-point win on Saturday marks the fifth largest margin of victory in program history.
 
DOMINATING DEFENSE
Milwaukee continues to clamp down on the defensive end, as it held Detroit Mercy to just 40.5 points per game on 24.5 percent shooting this past weekend. The Panthers have now held the opposition to under 40 points in three straight games.
 
As a whole, MKE's defense has been on another level, ranking top 15 in the nation in three categories.

• 51.4 PPG allowed - 7th
• 32.4 FG% - 13th
• 22.5 3PT FG% - 10th

SENSATIONAL CERA SISTERS
Angie Cera and Bre Cera put together a solid weekend in Detroit, averaging a combined 17.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. Angie knocked down three triples in both contests and ended the weekend with a season-best and team-high 13 points to go with four boards and three assists. Bre stepped up in game one, recording nine points on 4-for-7 shooting in addition to three rebounds, two assists, and a season-high three steals.
 
CLEANING UP AT THE CHARITY STRIPE
The Panthers continue to prove that they are one of the nation's top free throw shooting teams. Milwaukee added 27 more free throws to its total this past weekend and now sits fourth in the nation with 161 made free throws.
 
The Panthers currently rank fifth in NCAA Division I with a free throw percentage of 82.6. Of teams with at least 100 free throws made, only Iowa State ranks ahead of Milwaukee.
 
MOTOWN MAGIC
Something about Detroit just works for Emma Wittmershaus. Last season, the redshirt sophomore pulled in a career-high 14 rebounds. This year, she dominated once again, totaling 17 points, 14 rebounds, and four blocks in just 36 minutes of action. In game one, Wittmershaus finished with seven points and six rebounds. She followed that with a 10-point, 8-rebound performance in Saturday's win.
 
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Milwaukee played all 13 active players in back-to-back games in Detroit and found some magic off the bench, outscoring the Titans bench 73-26 in two games. Outside of Angie Cera and Emma Wittmershaus, more Panthers' reserve players stood out.
 
Miquela Santoro played a solid role in game one, totaling six points, three rebounds, and three assists. Macy McGlone made the most of her minutes, pulling in five rebounds and adding three points.
 
On Saturday, McGlone added another five rebounds while Lior Halevi finished 3-for-6 from the floor with six points and three boards.
 
SOMETHING TO PROVE
Milwaukee was predicted to finish seventh of 12 in the 2020-21 Horizon League Preseason Poll with 76 poll points. Defending champion IUPUI earned all 12 first place votes as the Jaguars were predicted to repeat.
 
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.
 
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 until at least January 15, 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.