FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Emma Wittmershaus knocked down two free throws with just 1.9 seconds remaining as the Milwaukee women's basketball team held off Purdue Fort Wayne 53-51 on Saturday afternoon.
 
"I am proud of how we finished. Our team made some big plays down the stretch," head coach Kyle Rechlicz said. "I thought our execution on the last play was very good. It is all about doing your job and Emma was huge for us in that last moment."
 
Purdue Fort Wayne tied the game at 51-51 on a pair of free throws and after trading empty possessions, Milwaukee took over with 47 seconds on the clock.
 
The Panthers (14-15, 13-9 Horizon League) extended the final possession with four offensive rebounds including two from Megan Walstad and the biggest from Wittmershaus.
 
Wittmershaus was fouled on her putback and calmly knocked down both attempts for a 53-51 lead with 1.9 seconds on the clock.
 
The Mastodons (9-20, 7-14 Horizon League) drew up a play after a timeout, but the final attempt was off the mark and MKE earned the win.
 
Milwaukee used a big second quarter to build a 31-19 halftime lead thanks to McKaela Schmelzer who recorded 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting.
 
After PFW cut it to eight, MKE rattled off a 9-0 run to give the Panthers their largest lead of the game at 42-25.
 
The Mastodons stormed back in the fourth, outscoring the Panthers 20-9 in the final frame to force the last-second drama.
 
Schmelzer finished 3-for-6 from long range, totaling a team-high 15 points.
 
Walstad pulled in a team-high 13 rebounds to go with six points and two assists. Wittmershaus finished 4-for-4 from the line, totaling eight points, eight boards, and three blocks.
 
With the win, the Panthers clinched the No. 6 seed for the Keeps Horizon League Championships and will host No. 11 UIC on Tuesday, March 1 at 7:00 pm.
 
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