INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Milwaukee women's basketball team led for a majority of the game on Saturday at IUPUI but a late run by the Jaguars handed the Panthers a 63-60 defeat in The Jungle.
 
Milwaukee trailed by three with one final possession but IUPUI's Natalie Andersen got a piece of Miquela Santoro's last-second shot as the Jaguars hung on.
 
Megan Walstad and Emma Wittmershaus carried the Panthers in the paint, combining for 31 points, 18 rebounds, and five assists as Milwaukee outscored IUPUI 32-22 inside.
 
"I was proud of how demanding Megan and Emma were of the ball. I thought they had a different intensity to them tonight," head coach Kyle Rechlicz commented. "I thought we did a great job of ball movement and getting them the ball in some situations. I thought we played really hard, just didn't come away with the win."
 
Milwaukee (6-9, 5-3 Horizon League) found Walstad early and often in the first half as she put up 15 points and seven rebounds before the break to help the Panthers to a 38-32 advantage.
 
The lead reached eight points in the third quarter following a turnaround jumper from Wittmershaus but IUPUI battled back with a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to one.
 
MKE responded and got it back to a five-point lead, but IUPUI (8-5, 5-3 Horizon League) took advantage of free throws late in the third to pull within two at 49-47.
 
Walstad and Angie Cera connected for a pair of early baskets in the fourth, but an 8-0 Jaguars' run put IUPUI on top for the first time since the first quarter.
 
Two McLimore free throws put IUPU up three with 15 seconds remaining and Milwaukee had a chance to tie on the final possession, but the Jaguars' defense held off the attempt.
 
Walstad finished with her fourth double-double of the year, totaling a team-high 19 points to go with 13 boards, four assists, and two blocks.
 
Wittmershaus added 12 points, five rebounds, and an assist.
 
Cera put together another solid performance off the bench, going 3-for-5 from the floor for eight points in 21 minutes.
 
The Panthers will return home to host Purdue Fort Wayne on Friday, January 14 followed by Cleveland State on January 16.
 
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