CHICAGO, Ill. – Down one with under 20 seconds to play, the Milwaukee women's basketball team had one final possession to take the lead, but the UIC defense stood tall and the Panthers fell 44-43 at Credit Union 1 Arena.
 
The Panthers were held without a free throw attempt for the first time in Milwaukee's NCAA Division I history, a span of 932 games since 1990.
 
"It's growing pains with people who haven't played a lot of minutes or been in those college situations yet," head coach Kyle Rechlicz said. "I'm shocked we didn't take a single free throw all night. It was a very physical game, and they just weren't calling them on either end and that's something we rely on to get points. We have to learn how to score."
 
The lead on either side never reached more than five the entire game as the two battled to eight ties and seven lead changes.
 
In the fourth quarter, UIC used a layup and three-pointer to go up five with 3:18 left on the clock before a jumper from Kendall Nead and a putback from Emma Wittmershaus cut the deficit to one with 41 seconds left.
 
Megan Walstad got a block on the ensuing possession to set up the Panthers' final chance, but UIC forced a missed jumper and turnover to fend off the MKE comeback.
 
Milwaukee was plagued by 19 turnovers which turned into nine points for the Flames.
 
Defense was stout on both ends in the first half as both teams had just 10 field goals for a 21-21 stalemate at the break.
 
Wittmershaus helped shoulder the load in the third with four points and four rebounds but got into foul trouble late and was forced to the sidelines.
 
Trailing 37-34, Kamy Peppler knocked down her second three-pointer of the game but the Flames responded with back-to-back baskets to go up five before the Panthers' final run.
 
MKE held UIC to 37 percent shooting, the fourth straight game the Panthers have held the opponent under 40 percent.
 
"They are a well-coached team on the other end. It was a very evenly matched battle, and I thought it would be going in. We hold a team to 44 points and we think we are going to win," Rechlicz said. "We are going to have to put though processes in to how we can score better as a team and how we can get more fluid offensively."
 
Wittmershaus led Milwaukee with 10 points and eight rebounds while Walstad chipped in six points, five rebounds, two assists, and three blocks.
 
Peppler and Nead also had six points apiece for the Panthers.
 
Milwaukee has the weekend off before heading to Nevada for two games over Thanksgiving break beginning with Nevada on Friday, November 24.
 
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