MILWAUKEE, Wis. - It's Senior Day weekend for the Milwaukee women's basketball team as they welcome Oakland to the Klotsche Center for the final two home regular season games of the season. The Panthers will host the Golden Grizzlies at 5:00 pm on Friday and follow with a 4:00 pm contest on Saturday. 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 across the league for the remainder of the Horizon League season, 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 GOLDEN GRIZZLIES
Oakland has won six of its last eight contests to improve to 10-6 in Horizon League action which is good enough for the current No. 4 seed.
 
Led by 2019-20 Horizon League Sixth Player of the Year Kahlaijah Dean, the Golden Grizzlies' offense ranks second in the league with 68.2 points per game.
 
Dean enters the weekend leading Oakland in points (16.3 per game), rebounds (5.6 per game), and assists (4.4 per game). Alona Blackwell also provides a solid piece offensively, as she leads the Horizon League with 39 made three-pointers this season.
 
Head Coach Jeff Tungate, who just picked up his 100th victory at Oakland, has a strong experienced roster with 10 upperclassmen and just one freshman. Additionally, Tungate's three sophomores each played at least 27 games a season ago.
 
LAST TIME THEY MET
Milwaukee dominated the fourth quarter, scoring 27 points on 58.3 percent shooting to top Oakland 73-65 in the first round of the Horizon League Tournament. Three reached double figures led by Sydney Staver (16 points) and Brandi Bisping (15 points).
 
SERIES HISTORY
Oakland and Milwaukee split the regular season last year and with the postseason victory, the Panthers own a 11-7 all-time advantage over the Golden Grizzlies. MKE is 6-3 at home against Oakland.
 
WHATS ON TAP?
The Panthers wrap up the regular season with a two-game series at UIC on February 19-20. After facing the flames, Milwaukee will turn its focus to the Horizon League Tournament which begins on Thursday, February 25. The final four teams will head to Indianapolis on March 8-9.
 
LAST TIME OUT
It was a back-and-forth first half, but the shots were not falling after the break for Milwaukee as it fell 56-49 to Wright State on Saturday afternoon.
 
I'LL TAKE BISPING FOR 500
With her first rebound on Friday at Wright State, Brandi Bisping reached 500 boards for her career. The senior became the 27th player in program history to eclipse 500 rebounds. It marks the second straight season a Panther reached 500 after Lizzie Odegard hit the mark in 2019-20.
 
COLLEGE INSIDER POLL
Milwaukee is receiving votes in this week's College Insider Women's Mid-Major Top 25 poll. Fellow Horizon League members IUPUI (No. 14) and Wright State (No. 21) are also receiving recognition in the poll.
 
MKE's only non-conference loss of the season was to Bowling Green, who checks in at No. 15 with a 14-4 record.
 
LEADING THE NATION
The Panthers finished the weekend 25-for-29 at the free throw line to improve to 84.2 percent from the charity stripe this season which leads the league and nation.
 
Milwaukee has hit 299 free throws, which is the third most in NCAA Division I behind Arkansas (351) and Murray State (309).
 
The Panthers are so far ahead in the Horizon League that they could miss their next 52 attempts from the charity stripe and still lead the league.  
 
Milwaukee's program record for free throw percentage in a season is currently 79.0 percent, which was set in 2010-11.
 
DYNAMIC DUO
Megan Walstad and Brandi Bisping are the only two teammates in the Horizon League averaging at least 11.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
 
Walstad ranks 12th in scoring (13.0ppg) and first in rebounding (9.2rpg) while Bisping is 17th in scoring (11.0) and fifth in rebounding (8.5rpg).
 
The two have combined for 12 double-doubles this season, marking the most for teammates since the 2017-18 season when Jenny Lindner (9) and Steph Kostowicz (8) combined for 17 double-doubles.
 
Walstad's eight double-doubles leads the Horizon League and ranks 23rd in NCAA Division I.
 
REACH THE HORIZON
Milwaukee currently sits at 12-4 in Horizon League play which is tied for the second-best winning percentage in the standings.
 
According to the league's seeding formula, the Panthers would be the No. 2 seed for the tournament. The top five seeds will receive an opening-round bye for the Horizon League Tournament.
 
With 12 league victories, the Panthers have already matched the most Horizon League wins since 2015-16 (12) and with four games left on the schedule, could reach the program record of 14 which was set in 2005-06 and 2001-02.
 
CLOSING OUT SERIES
Milwaukee's defense has been particularly good this season and that is credit to their depth and ability to close out series.
 
In game two of the Horizon League back-to-backs, the Panthers are holding opponents to 31.8 percent shooting from the floor and 26.4 percent shooting from three-point range while allowing just 51.3 points per game.
 
The Panthers own a scoring margin of +13.3 points per game in the eight game twos.
 
SENIORS SHOWING OUT
The Panthers five seniors continue to perform and show tremendous leadership. Collectively, the Panthers' eldest five (Brandi Bisping, Bre Cera, Miquela Santoro, McKaela Schmelzer, and Sydney Staver) are averaging 36.8 points, 17.0, and 9.9 assists per game with each playing at least 21 minutes per contest. Each one has proved to be a major factor with 42 combined double-digit scoring performances so far.
 
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.