MILWAUKEE, Wis. – On Friday, the Milwaukee women's basketball team returns to the WNIT for the third time in school history. The Panthers accepted the bid and will take on Drake University in Rockford, Ill.
 
Live audio, with Matt Menzl on the call, along with a link for live stats can be found on MKEPanthers.com. With no tickets available to the general public, 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 BULLDOGS
Drake most recently battled to the MVC Tournament Championship but fell to Bradley 78-70.
 
The MVC Tournament had a shakeup due to positive COVID tests during the event. Top-seeded Missouri State withdrew which led to Bradley taking on Loyola Chicago and Drake advancing to the title game.
 
The Bulldogs played without coach Jennie Barancyzk, starting guards Kierra Collier and Maddie Monahan and reserve Taylor McAulay in the championship.
 
Drake finished the season 16-11 including a 13-5 mark in conference play and is led by three players in double digits. Grace Berg has been a dominant forward for the Bulldogs, averaging 16.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game while shooting 53.9 percent from the floor. Collier (11.6) and Monahan (11.5) also average double figures.
 
LAST TIME THEY MET
The two teams last met in 2017 at the preseason WNIT as Drake took a 77-73 victory in Des Moines, Iowa. Steph Kostowicz led the Panthers with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Freshmen Sydney Staver and McKaela Schmelzer made their collegiate debuts in that season opener.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Milwaukee and Drake have met eight times since 1997 with the Bulldogs taking all eight matchups. Two of the eight contests have been decided by single digits including the four-point loss in 2017.
 
WHATS ON TAP?
At this year's WNIT, each team is guaranteed at least two games. Milwaukee will take on either Saint Louis or DePaul on Friday depending on a win or a loss. With a win, the Panthers will play at 8:00 pm on Saturday but if Milwaukee falls, it will play at 2:00 pm.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Unable to find rhythm offensively, the Milwaukee women's basketball team fell to IUPUI 56-46 in the Horizon League Tournament Semifinals on Monday.
 
WNIT HISTORY
The Panthers are making their third trip to the WNIT Postseason with the last coming in 2017-18. In 2015-16, Milwaukee faced Minnesota and nearly pulled a stunner. Steph Kostowicz had 30 points and 11 rebounds and MKE was within two points with 1:07 remaining but Big Ten Player of the Year Rachel Banham scored 48 points and the Gophers escaped with a win.
 
Two years later, Milwaukee earned its first WNIT postseason victory. The Panthers shot a program-best 69.4 percent from the floor to down Northern Iowa 81-67. Three days later, MKE fell to eventual champion Indiana.
 
POTENTIAL PAIRINGS
On Saturday, Milwaukee has the potential to play either Saint Louis or DePaul.
 
The Billikens finished the year 12-4, including winning eight straight before falling to Massachusetts in the Atlantic 10 semifinals. A solid defensive team, Saint Louis is holding opponents to 35.7 percent shooting from the floor and 30.8 percent from long range.
 
DePaul pushed No. 5 Villanova to overtime in the Big East Tournament but fell 78-72 to drop to 14-8 on the season. A fast-paced, high-scoring, offense, DePaul ranks eight in the nation with 81.5 points per game.
 
PANTHERS IN THE POSTSEASON
In that 2017-18 WNIT postseason run, this year's seniors were freshmen then. In the two games, here's how each contributed.

• Schemlzer (5.5ppg, 2.0rpg, 4.0apg)
• Bisping (3.5ppg, 2.5rpg)
• Staver (played 6 minutes)
• Cera (redshirt season) 

REWRITING THE RECORD BOOK
The Panthers missed a pair of free throws in the Horizon League Tournament semifinals, but Milwaukee still sits atop the NCAA with a 83.4 free throw percentage.
 
Milwaukee isn't the only one vying for the NCAA free throw percentage record as Iowa State sits at 83.1 percent. The Cyclones are also still in action as they reached the NCAA Tournament.
 
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). Harvard holds the men's free throw percentage record at 82.2 from 1984.
 
BEST IN MKE HISTORY
Brandi Bisping is in position to go down as the best free throw shooter in program history. The senior is 95-for-102 from the line this year, a percentage of 93.1 which sits as the top single season mark in MKE history. That number also puts her second in all of NCAA Division I.
 
If her percentage holds this season, Bisping would have two of the top three best single season marks in program history. Her career free throw percentage also sits at 89.2, a Milwaukee best.
 
SENDING IT TO THE SEMIS
Milwaukee reached the Horizon League Tournament Semifinals for the first time since 2016-17. The Panthers reached the semifinals for three straight years from 2014-17.
 
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 19 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.
 
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, 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.