SCOUTING THE PHOENIX
Green Bay, enters the second half of the Horizon League season at 8-2 in conference contests and 15-4 overall. Through the first round of league slate, the only two blemishes on the Phoenix mark came from Milwaukee on December 1, and Youngstown State this past Friday.
The Phoenix enter off of a convincing win over Robert Morris on Sunday, 71-54. The defensive number is right on the mark for the top defensive team in the conference, yielding just 54.4 points per game overall and 52.8 points per game in 10 league contests.
In the win versus Robert Morris, Green Bay shot 51.9 percent from the field, and were 41.2 percent from beyond the arc and were 8-for-9 from the free throw line against the Colonials.
On the year, Levy is leading the team with 11.1 points per game, with Maddy Schreiber second on the team averaging 9.9 points a game. Butler leads the team with 66 assists and 16 steals, while Jasmine Kondrakiewicz has a team-best 11 blocks. Schiltz leads in rebounds with 83 (4.6 per game), with Hartwig leading in offensive boards with 23.
LAST TIME THEY MET
Milwaukee held a four-point lead at halftime but relinquished the lead heading into the fourth quarter. A 12-0 run at the end by the Panthers led a furious comeback as Milwaukee outscored Green Bay 15-3 in the fourth quarter to pick up the 59-52 victory on December 1.
Megan Walstad led all scorers in the game with 15 points, while
Emma Wittmershaus had 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting and 11 rebounds.
Kamy Peppler had four assists and
Jessi Giles had two steals, while Walstad led the Panthers with two blocks.
SERIES HISTORY
Over the last seven meetings, Milwaukee holds a 5-2 record over the Phoenix including a pair of wins in Green Bay, most recently on December 13, 2020.
Overall, Green Bay leads the all-time series by a 54- 17 margin.
WHATS ON TAP?
After Thursday's matchup in Green Bay the Panthers return home to take on IUPUI beginning at 1 p.m. at the Klotsche Center. The day will feature Alumni Day festivities throughout the afternoon, while the team will also be celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
LAST TIME OUT
Three Panthers scored in double figures on Sunday afternoon at the Klotsche Center, but it was not enough as the Milwaukee women's basketball team fell to the Youngstown State Penguins by a score of 61-51. The Panthers had the game within one possession with 1:39 to go after
Kamy Peppler connected on a three-pointer to pull Milwaukee within two at 53-51. However, Milwaukee's four last-minute looks did not fall as Youngstown State (14-5, 8-2 Horizon League) scored the last eight points to seal the Penguin victory.
Kendall Nead led all Panther in scoring with 17 points, which included 7-of-7 from the charity stripe as she played a season-high 36 minutes. Peppler had a season-best three three-pointers and finished the game with 13 points.
Emma Wittmershaus collected a dozen points including a pair of three-pointers, while tying her season high with three blocks.
Both sides were evenly matched through the opening 30 minutes with the Penguins holding a slim 39-37 lead following a layup with 37 seconds to go in the third.
Youngstown State charged ahead by nine with 5:47 left in the game, but Wittmershaus connected on a three from the top of the arc off a pass by
Jada Donaldson to pull Milwaukee within two scores. Trailing by five with 2:06 to go, Peppler connected on her third three-pointer of the game with 1:39 left to pull the Panthers within two. Youngstown State scored the final eight to notch the 10-point win.
Milwaukee ended the game shooting 34.0 percent from the field and 23.8 percent from three, the Panthers did knock down better than 83 percent from the free-throw line for the fourth time in the last five games.
Donaldson finished the game with five points and a pair of rebounds. Peppler added three rebounds and three assists to her stat line.
Megan Walstad led the Panthers with four assists, while also adding four points and four rebounds in the effort. Five different Panthers had steals as Nead, Wittmershaus, Walstad, Peppler and
Angie Cera all picked up one swipe apiece.
SECOND HALF STRUGGLES
The Milwaukee defense has been strong this year, but recently, the Panthers have been running out of steam in the second half.
Over the last six games, Milwaukee has given up an average of 41.3 points in the second half. Opponents are shooting 49.7 percent (83-of-167) from the floor and 50.0 percent (30-for-60) from three-point range over the final 20 minutes
In comparison, the Panthers have allowed 37.6 percent (383-of-1018) from the field overall in games this season, and 32.4 percent (109-of-336) of three-pointers overall this year.
DOUBLE THE FUN
Megan Walstad registered her second consecutive double-double of the season on Friday against Robert Morris, as she collected 19 points and a season-high 16 rebounds. She now has 21 career double-doubles, with nine of those coming a season ago during the 2021-22 campaign, and is now tied for fifth on the all-time double-doubles list.
FOLLOWING THE LEADER
Six different members of the Panther roster have led the team in scoring this season throughout the team's 17 games thus far.
Megan Walstad and
Emma Wittmershaus are tied with leading the team on five occasions, while
Angie Cera,
Grace Crowley,
Anna Lutz,
Kendall Nead have all lead at least once this season.
FINDING THE RANGE
Milwaukee has been finding its shooting range from three-point land following the holiday break.
The Panthers had shot under 31 percent in each of its first 10 games but have turned it on since playing Detroit Mercy on December 29, having connected on at least 31 percent in each in six of their last eight contests.
Over the last seven games,
Kamy Peppler is 12-for-30 (40.0 percent) from long range and has hit at least two triples in six contests.
Kendall Nead over her last eight contests has knocked down 14-of-42 (33.3 percent) from distance.
RETURN TO FORM
Preseason First Team All-League honoree
Megan Walstad has been heating up over the last seven games, dating back to the team's win over Oakland on New Year's Eve.
In that span, Walstad is averaging 14.9 points and 9.4 rebounds while shooting 57.6 percent from the floor and 83.3 percent from the free throw line. The senior has accounted for season-highs in both points (21 at Purdue Fort Wayne) and rebounds (16 vs. Robert Morris) over the last three contest. She has also chipped in with 15 assists, seven blocks and four steals over the last seven games, averaging over 33 minutes per game.
OFFENSIVE BOARDS TURNING INTO POINTS
The Panthers have recorded double-digit offensive rebounds in five of their last six contests and have made the most of their chances. In that span, Milwaukee has totaled 63 second-chance points, including 19 second-chance points in the team's win over Robert Morris on January 20.
COMING ALIVE IN LEAGUE PLAY
Kendall Nead added four more double-digit scoring performances to her ledger against Northern Kentucky (Jan. 5), Wright State (Jan. 7), Robert Morris (Jan. 20), and Youngstown State (Jan. 22) and has scored at least 10 points in nine of the last 11 games.
In 10 Horizon League contests, Nead is averaging a team-high 13.6 points to go with 4.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. In league play, Nead is shooting 33.3 percent (15-for-45) from long range.
PEPPLER PULLS IN HONOR
In the first two games to ring in the New Year,
Kamy Peppler averaged 16.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 52.6 percent from the floor and 50 percent from deep.
That line earned her Horizon League Freshman of the Week honors for the first time this season.
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.
In the last seven seasons, Milwaukee is 89-25 (.781) when hitting at least 40 percent from the field. Bump that field goal percentage to 43 percent and the Panthers are 69-12 (.852).
When shooting under 40 percent since 2016-17, Milwaukee is just 25-66 (.278).
The Panthers have been held under 40 percent in 11 games this year, going 1-10 in those contests.
STRONG ON THE GLASS
The Panthers owned the rebounding battle at Wright State, on January 7, 39-19 to record their best margin of the season at plus-20. It marks the highest rebounding margin since Milwaukee was plus-22 on the glass in a 58-35 win over UIC on February 19, 2021.
DEFENSE LEADING THE WAY
The Panthers' defense continues to be a factor this season as Milwaukee ranks in the top four of the Horizon League in points allowed and field goal percentage defense.
Milwaukee is allowing just 59.5 points per game through 10 league contests and holding the opposition to 37.7 percent shooting overall.
RECORD-SETTING WIN
Defense was the story in a win over Detroit Mercy on December 29, setting multiple program bests.
The Panthers held the Titans to 29 points, the lowest for an opponent in NCAA Division I history surpassing Valparaiso's 31 from February 25, 2012.
Detroit also converted just 17.5 percent of its field goals, the lowest field goal percentage for an opponent since MKE held Youngstown State to 19.4 percent on March 6, 2010.
The seven made field goals for Detroit were also an opponent program-low for the Panthers, four fewer than the previous mark.
SERVING UP A 'W'
Milwaukee was finding the open player against Detroit Mercy and making it count, totaling a season-high 22 assists.
It is the most assists for the Panthers since MKE had 24 in a win over Northern Iowa on March 15, 2018. That year, MKE eclipsed 20 assists on five different occasions.
The Panthers had those 22 assists on 25 made field goals, the highest assist percentage (88.0) since dishing out 16 assists on 18 field goals (88.8) in a win over Chicago State on March 3, 2016.
ALL OF THE DOUBLE DIGITS
In the win over Detroit Mercy, Milwaukee had five players reach double figures.
Grace Crowley led the way with 13 points while
Kendall Nead (12),
Anna Lutz (11),
Kamy Peppler (10), and
Emma Wittmershaus (10) all joined in double digits.
It marks the first time Milwaukee had at least five players with at least 10 points since February 8, 2020. That game, Jamie Reit's 13 points led the way while Bre Cera added 12,
McKaela Schmelzer and
Sydney Staver each had 11, and Lizzie Odegard finished with 10 in a 65-60 win over Green Bay.
Milwaukee is now 3-0 this year when at least four players reach double figures. The Panthers are 17-4 over the last five years when four or more players reach at least 10 points.
MISS BASKETBALL IN THE HOUSE
Freshman
Kamy Peppler was crowned 2022 Miss Basketball for Wisconsin but it's not the first time Milwaukee has had a student-athlete with that title arrive on campus.
In fact,
Megan Walstad earned that title in her home state of Minnesota after leading Eastview High School to a perfect 32-0 record as a senior.
Prior to that, just one other player in program history donned the title of Miss Basketball. Meredith Onson (2005-08) was a consensus Wisconsin Player of the year in 2002-03. Onson originally attended Boston University but transferred to Milwaukee for the 2004-05 season.
PRESEASON HONORS FOR WALSTAD
Megan Walstad was named to the Preseason All-Horizon League First Team following another impressive campaign in 2021-22. Walstad dominated down low, earning her second straight First Team All-League award last season. She led the team and was among the league's leaders in points per game (14.4), rebounds per game (9.1), field goal percentage (48.8), free throw percentage (88.9), and blocks per game (1.5). Walstad was also named to the All-Defensive Team for the second straight year.
Walstad joined a group of just three others in program history to earn All-League First Team honors on more than one occasion in the Panthers' Division I era and is just the second in MKE history to earn All-Defensive Team distinction multiple times.
Additionally, Walstad was one of 25 players to be named to the 2022 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year preseason Watch List.
MILESTONE WATCH
Megan Walstad's name is already all over the Milwaukee record books but she has the opportunity to etch her name in a few more times.
For her career, she has already cracked the program's top 10 in the following for NCAA Division I.
