MILWAUKEE, Wis. - Following a First Round bye, the Milwaukee women's basketball team welcomes seventh-seeded Youngstown State to the Klotsche Center on Tuesday evening with a trip to Indianapolis on the line. This marks the first matchup of the season between the Penguins and the Panthers. 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 PENGUINS
Youngstown State fought off Purdue Fort Wayne for a 62-59 victory in the First Round of the Horizon League Tournament on Thursday night. 
 
The Penguins finished out the regular season 10-6 led by a trio of All-Horizon League honorees. Newcomer Nneka Obiazor was named Freshman of the Year behind 15.2 points and a team-high 8.3 rebounds per game. During the year, Obiazor earned Freshman of the Week honors in four of the eight weeks the Penguins played.
 
Mary Dunn was named All-Horizon Second Team while Chelsea Olson was selected to the third team. Dunn, a redshirt senior leads the team with 16.2 points per game while Olson leads the league with 5.2 assists per game.
 
The Penguins are one of the most proficient offenses in the Horizon League, ranking top three in points per game (3rd, 66.5), field goal percentage (2nd, 44.8), and three-point percentage (3rd, 33.4).
 
LAST TIME THEY MET
Milwaukee locked down the defense in the fourth quarter, holding Youngstown State to just six points on 2-for-14 shooting in a 59-54 victory at the Klotsche Center. Lizzie Odegard led three in double figures with 19 points. Brandi Bisping recorded a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Milwaukee earned a season sweep of Youngstown State a year ago to improve to 30-16 all-time against the Penguins. Since the 2016-17 season, MKE is 6-3 against Youngstown State. At home, the Panthers boast a 16-6 record against the Penguins.
 
WHATS ON TAP?
The winner of Tuesday's game will head to Indianapolis for the Horizon League Semifinals on Monday, March 8.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Thanks to yet another impressive defensive performance on Saturday afternoon, Milwaukee earned a 72-53 victory over UIC. With the win, the Panthers earned a share of the Horizon League Regular Season title.
 
THE CHAMPS ARE HERE
Thanks to a series sweep over UIC and some help around the league, the Panthers earned a share of the Horizon League regular season championship. It marks the third time in program history that Milwaukee shared the crown. MKE also grabbed a share of the Horizon League title in 2000-01 and 2005-06. The Panthers went on to win the Horizon League Tournament both of those seasons.
 
Milwaukee's 15 Horizon League victories set a new program record while the 18 total victories are the most since the Panthers finished 21-12 in 2017-18.
 
HORIZON LEAGUE HARDWARE
Megan Walstad and Brandi Bisping pulled in Horizon League honors, which were announced by the league office last week. Walstad earned a spot on the First Team and All-Defensive Team while Bisping was named Third Team. Bisping was also one of five named to the Horizon League All-Academic Team.
 
Walstad's First Team selection is the first for the Panthers since Steph Kostowicz in 2015-16 and the All-Defensive honor is the first since Ryaen Johnson earned the distinction in 2018-19.
 
PREVIEWING THE POSTSEASON
Milwaukee matched Wright State with a 15-5 record for the regular season title and earned the No. 2 seed for the tournament following the league's seeding formula.
 
That marks the highest seed for the Panthers in the Horizon League Tournament since 2015-16 when Milwaukee was also No. 2. That year, MKE reached the championship before falling to top-seeded Green Bay.
 
With a win on Tuesday, Milwaukee would head to Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Farmers Coliseum serves as the host site for the Horizon League Championships. March 8 will be the semifinals followed by the championship on March 9.
 
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. 11), Green Bay (No. 25), and Wright State (RV) 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. 13 with a 16-4 record.
 
POSTSEASON PARNTERS
Milwaukee and Youngstown State have been familiar foes in the Horizon League Tournament over the last few years, meeting two of the last three postseasons.
 
The Penguins edged the Panthers in 2018-19 as the No. 3 seed and earned the upset over MKE in 2017-18 as the No. 5 seed.
 
The Panthers last victory over Youngstown State in the postseason was in the 2008-09 Horizon League Tournament when MKE topped the Penguins 70-49 in the First Round.
 
DOMINANT D IS BACK
The Panthers had an outstanding defensive weekend, holding UIC to just 44.0 points per game on 32.1 percent shooting. On Friday, MKE held the Flames to 35 points, the second lowest point total for an opponent this year.
 
Milwaukee has held an opponent under 40 points on four different occasions this year, the first time that has happened in the Panthers' NCAA Division I era.
 
MKE ranks 18th in the nation allowing just 55.4 points per game.
 
REWRITING THE RECORD BOOK
The Panthers had their lowest free throw percentage of the season in Friday's win over UIC but still remain the top marksmen from the charity stripe this season. MKE is 354-for-425 (83.3 percent) from the free throw line this season.
 
The current NCAA record for free throw percentage in a season is held by Idaho State from 2008 when the Bengals shot 83.2 percent (540-for-649).
 
Milwaukee's 354 free throws are fifth-most in the country behind Arkansas (425), Troy (391), Murray State (382), and UNLV (362).
 
If the Panthers were to miss their next 58 free throws, they would 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 11th in scoring (12.7ppg) and second in rebounding (8.8rpg) while Bisping is 12th in scoring (11.0) and third in rebounding (8.6).
 
The two have combined for 13 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 ranks second in the Horizon League and ranks 38th in NCAA Division I.
 
CAREER YEAR FOR BISPING
Brandi Bisping has put together a career-year for the Panthers. The senior is currently averaging career-highs in points per game (11.0), rebounds per game (8.6), and assists per game (2.1).
 
Earlier this year, she became the 27th player in program history to reach 500 career rebounds.
 
Additionally, Bisping is shooting 92.9 percent from the free throw line, her third straight season above 90 percent. Her mark is currently just ahead of Lindsay Laur's 2010-11 season of 92.8 percent.  With a career 89.0 free throw percentage, Bisping ranks first all-time in program history.
 
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.