MILWAUKEE, Wis. - Milwaukee earned a crucial sweep in Michigan and looks to carry the winning streak to the Klotsche Center for an important three-game homestand. The Panthers will face off first against IUPUI on Thursday at 7:00 pm. The game can be found on ESPN+ and will also feature live stats and live audio with Matt Menzl on the call on MKEPanthers.com.
 
The Milwaukee Athletic Department recently announced that fans will be allowed at all home events this year. In accordance with current Milwaukee Public Health and CDC recommendations, fans will be required to wear a face covering indoors, regardless of vaccination status.
 
SCOUTING THE JAGUARS
IUPUI has been the hottest team in the Horizon League, winning 13 straight games dating back to January 2 to improve to 18-5 overall and 15-3 in league play.
 
The Jaguars are tied with Cleveland State for the most potent offense in the league at 70.7 points per game. IUPUI also leads in field goal percentage (45.4) and three-point percentage (36.2) while ranking second in rebounding (39.4 per game).
 
Three-time Horizon League Player of the Year, Macee Williams, is no doubt in the running again as she ranks second in the league in points per game (17.8) while leading in rebounds (10.3) and field goal percentage (63.1).
 
Outside of IUPUI, Rachel McLimore and Rachel Kent provide plenty of firepower, each averaging double figures. McLimore is averaging 13.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game while Kent is one of the top three-point threats, with 50 made triples at a clip of 39.4 percent.
 
LAST TIME THEY MET
Milwaukee had a chance to tie the Jaguars in regulation on January 8 but IUPUI's Natalie Andersen got a piece of Miquela Santoro's last-second shot and the Panthers fell 63-60. Megan Walstad had 19 for MKE while Rachel McLimore scored 22 for IUPUI.
 
SERIES HISTORY
IUPUI holds a 7-3 all-time advantage over Milwaukee, but the two teams have split the last four meetings.
 
WHATS ON TAP?
The Panthers return to the Klotsche Center to take on IUPUI on Thursday, February 17. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 pm.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Megan Walstad scored 26 points on Saturday, reaching 1,000 for her career, to lead the Milwaukee women's basketball team over Oakland 57-41 at the O'Rena.
 
1K CLUB COMPLETE
With a season-high 26 points against Oakland on Saturday, Megan Walstad became the 22nd player in program history to reach 1,000 for her career.
 
The redshirt sophomore did it in just 81 games which sits as the ninth-fastest of those to reach the milestone.
 
It marks Milwaukee's first 1,000-point scorer since Steph Kostowicz (2014-18) who accomplished the feat in 2017.
 
Earlier this season, Walstad also became the 28th player in program history to reach 500 career rebounds.
 
She is just the 13th player in program history to record at least 1,000 points and 500 rebounds for her career.
 
WALSTAD WORKIN'
The 26 points against Oakland on Saturday set a new season-high for Megan Walstad. She finished 9-for-12 from the floor and 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
 
Walstad has been on fire as of late, reaching double figures in 10 straight games. She has put together another impressive season for the Panthers and is among the league leaders in multiple categories.

• 15.0 points per game (7th)
• 8.8 rebounds per game (4th)
• 50.3 field goal percentage (3rd)
• 88.2 free throw percentage (3rd)
• 1.5 blocks per game (3rd)

HEATING UP DOWN THE STRETCH
The Milwaukee offense has been heating up, shooting at least 42 percent in each of the last six games, going 4-2 during that stretch.
 
Prior to that, the Panthers had shot better than 42 percent just five times out of games.
 
In this five-game swing, Milwaukee is shooting 50.8 percent from the floor and 39.1 percent from three-point range while averaging 64.7 points per game.
 
A LOOK AT THE LEAGUE
With just five regular season games remaining, the Panthers have their eyes on the Horizon League standings.
 
Milwaukee has climbed up to sixth and have as many victories as Cleveland State, who is in fifth, and is just one win behind Green Bay and Northern Kentucky, who are in third and fourth, respectively.
 
The top five in the standings will receive a bye for the Horizon League Tournament which begins on Tuesday, March 1.
 
The final four teams will head to Indiana Farmers Coliseum on March 7-8 for a chance to hoist the Horizon League Championship trophy.
 
GOODNESS GRACIOUS, GRADUATES
The graduate trio of Miquela Santoro, McKaela Schmelzer, and Sydney Staver have laid it all on the line in their final year of collegiate hoops.
 
The three have each started at least 22 games and combine for 25.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 3.3 steals per game.
 
BACK ON TRACK
After an uncharacteristic three-game stretch of shooting 58.3 percent, the Panthers bounced back at the charity stripe this weekend.
 
Milwaukee finished 22-for-24 (91.7 percent) from the line, improving the season percentage to 79.8 (233-for-292).
 
That number pushes the Panthers up to second in the Horizon League and sixth in the nation.
 
Last year, Milwaukee was phenomenal from the line and set a new NCAA Division I record in free throw percentage with a mark of 83.8 percent. That number knocked off Idaho State's 83.2 percent clip in 2008 and also topped the men's record of 82.2 percent which was set by Harvard in 1984.
 
CAN'T MISS
McKaela Schmelzer has been on an impressive run the last six games, helping MKE to a 4-2 record during that stretch.
 
In those games, Schmelzer is shooting 63.6 percent from the floor and 66.7 percent (10-for-15) from three-point range while averaging 9.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.
 
She is currently averaging 8.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, both career highs.
 
DOMINANT DOWN LOW
Milwaukee put together one of its best performances in the paint on Thursday, outscoring Detroit Mercy 38-26 down low.
 
The 38 points are the most since MKE also had 38 points in the paint in the season opener on November 8 against Ball State.
 
Milwaukee finished 14-for-19 (73.7 percent) in the restricted area.
 
The Panthers also outrebounded the Titans 36-23, recording their best rebounding margin since +18 in the win over Wright State on January 29. The +13 is the fifth-best rebounding margin this season for Milwaukee.
 
MILESTONE WATCH
McKaela Schmelzer now holds the program record for games played with 141, surpassing Alyssa Fischer, who appeared in 134 games from 2015-20. Sydney Staver is also moving up on that list, having appeared in 130 career contests.
 
Schmelzer also became the program's all-time leader for games started with 130, surpassing Jenny Lindner (2014-18). With 26 more assists, Schmelzer could surpass Pam Bartnik (1990-94) for most career assists in Panthers' history.
 
CATCHING FIRE
Milwaukee could not miss against Robert Morris, hitting 65.9 percent of its shots which sits as the second-best mark in program history.
 
The Panthers were 13-for-20 (65 percent) in the first half and 16-for-24 (66.7 percent) after the break in the win over the Colonials.
 
The Panthers set the school record 111 games ago, knocking down 69.4 percent of their shots in a WNIT win over Northern Iowa on March 15, 2018.
 
LEAVING NO DOUBT
With the huge win over Robert Morris, the Panthers recorded back-to-back victories of at least 20 points.
 
MKE topped Wright State by 25 points before taking down RMU by 20 on Thursday.
 
It marks the first time since January of 2021 that the Panthers have won consecutive games by at least 20 points. That stretch reached four games for MKE, who opened the New Year with wins over Detroit Mercy and Purdue Fort Wayne by an average of 27.8 points per game. The Panthers totaled seven victories by at least 20 points a season ago.
 
MAGIC NUMBER
In college basketball, there is no perfect recipe for a win but for Milwaukee, field goal percentage has been a pretty good baseline.
 
The Panthers are 8-3 this season when hitting at least 40 percent of their shots from the floor.
 
In the last six seasons (including this year), Milwaukee is 81-23 (.779) when hitting at least 40 percent from the field. Bump that field goal percentage to 43 percent and the Panthers are 63-11 (.851).
 
When shooting under 40 percent since 2016-17, Milwaukee is just 22-53 (.293).
 
HIGH EXPECTATIONS
Following a 20-win season which led to a trip to the postseason WNIT, the Milwaukee women's basketball team was selected to finish second in the Horizon League Preseason Poll, announced by the league office. MKE totaled 125 poll points, trailing only IUPUI, who was tabbed as the preseason favorite with 11 of 12 first place votes and 139 total poll points.
 
PRESEASON HONORS FOR WALSTAD
Megan Walstad was named to the Preseason All-Horizon League First Team following an impressive campaign in 2020-21. After being sidelined the year prior, Walstad returned to the floor and dominated down low as she collected a First Team All-League award last season. The redshirt sophomore led the team in scoring (12.0 points per game) field goal percentage (50.0) and blocks (50) while ranking second in rebounds (8.7 per game).
 
Additionally, Walstad was one of 25 players to be named to the 2022 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Watch List.
 
POSTSEASON PANTHERS
Milwaukee reached the postseason WNIT for the third time in program history last season and added another postseason win to the resume. The Panthers reached the second round of the tournament for the first time since the 2017-18 season. Overall, Milwaukee is 2-3 at the postseason WNIT.
 
CATCH ALL THE ACTION
Thanks to ESPN+, Milwaukee basketball 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+. The Horizon League and ESPN have an agreement that includes ESPN hosting the league's digital network on the ESPN+ platform.
 
ESPN+ offers fans thousands of live events, on-demand content, and original programming not available on ESPN's linear TV or digital networks. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) and cancel at any time.
 
For road games, visit MKEPanthers.com for live coverage links.
 
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.