MILWAUKEE – After opening the season on the road on Tuesday at Wisconsin, the Milwaukee women's basketball team opens the home portion of its schedule on Sunday with non-conference UIC at 2:00 p.m. inside the Klotsche Center. The game will kick off Homecoming Week on the UW-Milwaukee Campus.
The game will be available on the both ESPN+ and Black & Gold Network, asÂ
Matt Menzl returns for his eighth season with the program, live stats will also be available at the links on MKEPanthers.com.
THE MATCHUP
Sunday, November 12 – UIC at Milwaukee | Klotsche Center | Milwaukee, Wis. | 2:00 pm
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QUICK LINKS
Live Stats:Â
mkepanthers.com/coverage
ESPN+:Â
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Black & Gold Network:Â
mkepanthers.com/coverage
Follow Along (On X):Â
@MKE_WBB
Tickets:Â
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Game Program:Â
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PROMOTIONSÂ (Full Promotional Schedule)
Sunday vs. UIC – Homecoming / T-Shirt Giveaway
FAST FACTS
» Milwaukee plays at home in front of a Klotsche Center crowd on Sunday, as the Panthers welcome in the UIC Flames for a non-conference tilt against their former Horizon League foe. The Panthers are 6-5 in home openers under head coachÂ
Kyle Rechlicz and are 18-15 all time in Division I home openers.
» While UIC won last year's matchup in Chicago by a 44-43 score, the Panthers have dominated the series at home in Milwaukee and are 8-0 in their last eight meetings at the Klotsche Center. The eight-straight wins dates to the 2014-15 season, with the last Flames win in Milwaukee coming back on January 29, 2014.
» The Panthers fell on the road in their season opener to the Wisconsin Badgers by the score of 62-51 at the Kohl Center in the state capital. Milwaukee was led byÂ
Kendall Nead, who had a big second half to finish with a team-best 18 points in the win.Â
Kamy Peppler had nine points, whileÂ
Grace Crowley led MKE with a team-best nine rebounds.
» All Panther games will feature live stats and live audio withÂ
Matt Menzl on the Black & Gold Network, while fans can also tune into ESPN+ for a majority of this season's contests, including all home contests. Game coverage and gameday programs for home games can all be found on MKEPanthers.com.
SCOUTING THE FLAMES
After knocking off Loyola Chicago in its season opener on Monday, 67-51, the Flames paid a visit to the Northwestern Wildcats on Thursday and dropped an overtime decision by a 92-86 score. Northwestern originally held a 16-10 lead, but UIC scored the next 18 points of the contest to take a 28-16 lead. The Flames led by 14 at the break, but Northwestern fought back in the second half and eventually won the contest in overtime.
This will be the third-straight road contest to begin the season for UIC before the Flames host SEMO on Friday, November 17.
The Flames are averaging 76.5 points per game and are connecting on 44.5 percent from the field, while yielding 40.6 percent by their opponents. Rebounding has been a struggle in the early going as UIC has been outrebounded by an average of 9.5 per game. The Flames do a solid job in keeping turnovers down, while also getting in passing lanes and recording 27 steals over its first two games.
UIC has four players averaging double figures on the young season, led by Dais'Ja Trotter with an average of 17 points per game, as she leads the team with five of 11 from beyond the arc. Keimari Rimmer is second on the team with 15.5 points per game, while Danyel Middleton (11.0 ppg), and Makiyah Williams (10.5 ppg) have added to the Flame offense. Trotter is also among the team leaders in rebounding along with Rimmer, while Kristian Young has nine steals over the first two games for UIC.
UIC was selected sixth in the preseason poll, out of 12 teams in the Missouri Valley Conference. Northern Iowa is the league favorite, followed by Drake and Illinois State. The Flames are the only Missouri Valley team on the Milwaukee schedule in 2023-24.
LAST MEETING
In their last meeting, the Panthers paid a visit to UIC and dropped a close one-point decision to its host by a 44-43 margin. The loss snapped a 15-game winning streak that Milwaukee owned over the Flames.
In the loss,Â
Emma Wittmershaus led the Panthers with 10 points and eight rebounds, whileÂ
Megan Walstad,Â
Kendall Nead, andÂ
Kamy Peppler each had six points apiece in the effort. Danyel Middleton led the Flames with 11 points, while Jaida McCloud also had double figures with 10 points as the pair each connected on five field goals apiece.
The game was tied at halftime (21-21), but the Flames did just enough to squeak by the Panthers in the one-point win for UIC.
SERIES HISTORY
Even though the Flames won the last meeting between the two teams, Milwaukee has dominated the all-time series against UIC with 42 wins in 64 matchups. Milwaukee had won 15-straight matchups before the team's slip in Chicago in 2022-23 but have not dropped a home game to the Flames since the 2013-14 season at 84-70 on January 29.
At the Klotsche Center, Milwaukee is in search of their 25th win against UIC, as the Panthers currently own a 24-7 record in home games against UIC.
HOME OPENERS
In its 33 previous home openers as a Division I program; the Panthers are 18-15 in those matchups. Milwaukee has played 22 different opponents in home openers, with Wisconsin being the most common opponent with five meetings. Other duplicated opponents are Marquette, Northern Iowa, Northwestern, and SEMO, with two appearances each as Milwaukee's first home game opponent.
The Panthers have played opponents from 11 difference states for its home openers, including Connecticut, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin.
The Panthers are 6-5 in home openers under head coachÂ
Kyle Rechlicz and are looking to snap a two-game skid in home openers.
NEAD'S SEASON-OPENING MARK
With 18 points in the team's season opener at Wisconsin, Milwaukee's junior guard scored the most points for a Panther in a season opener since Jamie Reit scored 31 points in the team's overtime win over Parkside to begin the 2019-20 season. A year prior, Reit connected on 21 points in the team's two-point loss to Indiana for the last time a Panther had at least 18 points in a regulation season opener.
CROWLEY'S JUNIOR RECORD
Last season, then-junior
Grace Crowley connected on 57.4 percent from the field. With that mark, Crowley set a new program record for shooting percentage as a junior in Milwaukee history. The previous mark was held by Bud K. Haidet Hall of Famer, Maria Viall, who recorded a 57.3 field goal percent as a junior.
THE 1,000-POINT CLUB
The college basketball world welcomed a newcomer to the 1,000-point club on Tuesday evening, as junior
Vanessa Jurewicz scored her 1,000th career point against the Badgers with 1:41 left in the game.
Jurewicz entered her Milwaukee career with 998 career points, with 79 points at her first college at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M in 2020-21, before adding 919 over the past two seasons at McCook Community College in Nebraska. Jurewicz became the first player to score their 1,000th career point in a Panther uniform since
Megan Walstad accomplished the feat on February 12, 2022. Walstad scored all 1,394 of her career points with Milwaukee.
HAPPY HOMECOMING
Sunday's matchup with UIC will kick off homecoming week on the UW-Milwaukee campus. The week-long celebration will also include PounceFest on Monday, the Campus Cornhole Tournament on Tuesday, a tailgate party and men's basketball game on Friday, and will culminate with the athletic department's annual Hall of Fame ceremony on Saturday, November 18 at Pilot Project Brewing Milwaukee. For more information, fans are encouraged to visit MKEPanthers.com/Homecoming.
WELCOME BACK CREW
Milwaukee welcomes back 10 players that were on last year's roster, including nine that saw minutes. Leading the way back in terms of minutes played is
Kendall Nead with 866 as the junior is also the team's leading returner in scoring 334 pts/11.1 ppg.
Angie Cera averaged 28 minutes per game a year ago while averaging 8.3 points per game, with
Kamy Peppler seeing action in all 30 of the team's games and averaged just over 23 minutes per contest.
Jada Donaldson was a starter in 22 of 29 games and averaged 25.7 minutes per game.
Grace Crowley played in 498 minutes in 2022-23, while
Anna Lutz saw time in 28 games for 332 minutes as the duo will likely see an increase this year with Milwaukee graduating both
Megan Walstad and
Emma Wittmershaus.
Hallie Majoros,
Lior Halevi,
Justina Hernandez, and
Kalvina Eubanks all saw time a year ago, while
Jada Williams sat out the season, and looks to make an impact during her first season on the court with the team.
NEW FACES IN MILWAUKEE
This offseason, the Panthers welcomed five newcomers to the roster for the 2023-24 season.
Vanessa Jurewicz transferred to Milwaukee following a two-year stay at McCook Community College in Nebraska, where she was a two-year starter.
Four true freshmen join the Panther program this season:
Jorey Buwalda,
Izzy Pugh,
Sophia Rampulla, and
Payton Rechlicz.
Buwalda joins the Badgers from a 20-win Randolph squad from a season ago, after winning a Wisconsin State Title as a junior in 2021-22. She was a three-time All-State honoree during her high school career.
Pugh hails from Auckland, New Zealand, and was a four-year member of the Westlake Girls High School Team, while she was also named to the New Zealand U-18 reserve team. She was a part of the Westlake's national championship team in 2022.
Rampulla was a part of four conference championship teams at Union Grove High School and helped the team to regional championship as both a junior and senior. She was also a Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Ms. Basketball finalist as a senior.
Rechlicz played four seasons of basketball at Menomonee Falls, where she was a two-time All-Conference Selection in the competitive Greater Metro Conference. During her appearances in the WIAA Postseason, she led the team in scoring in each of her appearances.
SHELTON JOINS THE STAFF
The Panthers welcomed
Courtney Shelton to the staff this summer in the role of Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator. No stranger to the area, Shelton grew up in Illinois and played collegiately at Northern Illinois in DeKalb.
Shelton has spent a majority of her coaching career at Central Michigan, notably from 2017-23, while there Shelton was an assistant coach for five seasons before being promoted to associate head coach this past season. Shelton spent the spring term as interim head coach of the Chippewas before coming to Milwaukee this summer.
The remainder of Milwaukee's staff remained intact from last year's squad as
Stacy Cantley (Associate Head Coach) is back for her sixth season with the Panthers, while
Anna DeForge (Assistant Coach) is back for her second year.
Turea Moore returns for her second season as Director of Operations, with
Maiah Domask in her second term as the team's graduate assistant.
AND YOU ARE…?
Milwaukee's non-conference slate will feature 11 total contests including five at home, as well as six first-time opponents.
Milwaukee will play three new faces at the McNeese State Tournament, including Louisiana Monroe (Nov. 16), host McNeese State (Nov. 17), and Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 18). The team will also take on Edgewood at home on November 21.
In December, the Panthers will welcome two new opponents to the Klotsche Center as St. Thomas (Minn.) pays a visit on December 7, while Viterbo will close out non-conference play on December 20.
SPANNING THE REGION…AND THE GLOBE
This season Milwaukee has eight student-athletes from the state of Wisconsin, while the team has two players from both Illinois and Iowa, with one student-athlete hailing from Ohio.
In addition to the 13 Panthers from the United States, Milwaukee will be represented by three international students as returner
Lior Halevi (Israel) is joined by
Vanessa Jurewicz (Sweden), and
Izzy Pugh (New Zealand).
This will be the first time in Milwaukee Division I history, that the Panthers have more than one international student-athletes on its roster for any season.
PRESEASON POLL
Milwaukee was selected to finish sixth in the 2023-24 preseason poll as announced by the Horizon League in mid-October. The Panthers received 59 points and were just four points out of the top-five.
In addition to the team being selected in sixth,
Kendall Nead was named to the Preseason All-League Second Team. Nead finished last year as Milwaukee's returning scorer as she averaged 11.1 points per game with a team-best 334 points in 2022-23. Nead also connected on 41.4 percent from the floor, while adding 26 three-pointers of her team-best 138 field goals made.
Nead added 133 rebounds, 46 assists, 17 steals, and seven blocks as she was one of just two Panthers to start in all 30 games of the season for MKE.
OFFENSIVE BOARDS TURNING INTO POINTS
The Panthers recorded double-digit offensive rebounds in nine of their last 18 contests in 2022-23 and made the most of their chances. In that span during 2022-23 Milwaukee totaled 161 second-chance points.
The Panthers got off to a start just as well in the team's opener against Wisconsin with 14 offensive rebounds, which resulted in eight second-chance points against the Badgers.
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 eight seasons, Milwaukee is 93-31 (.750) when hitting at least 40 percent from the field. Bump that field goal percentage to 43 percent and the Panthers are 81-16 (.835).
When shooting under 40 percent since 2016-17, Milwaukee is just 25-69 (.266). The Panthers are 0-1 in contests this season, when shooting under 40 percent.
KEEPING THE FOULS DOWN
Over the past two seasons, when Milwaukee has committed 11 fouls or fewer, the Panthers are 5-1. On the contrary, the Panthers are 2-10 when they have committed 18 or more fouls in a contest.
ALL-FRESHMAN HONORS
Last season,
Kamy Peppler put together a season that warranted All-Freshman Team accolades by the Horizon League last season.
Peppler's freshman campaign saw her play in all 30 of the team's games and connect on 32.5 percent from the field including 25.6 percent from three. She had connected on 64 field goals with 30 of those coming from beyond the arc. She had the third-most assists for a rookie with 100 and was just 25 shy of tying the Milwaukee freshman record.
WHAT'S ON TAP?
With Milwaukee having its home opener on Sunday against UIC, the Panthers will be on the road in Lake Charles, Louisiana for a three-day, three-game event at McNeese State. The Panthers will take on a trio of first-time opponents beginning with Louisiana Monroe on November 16 (4:00 p.m.), host McNeese State on November 17 (7:00 p.m.), and Mississippi Valley State on November 18 (1:00 p.m.).
Milwaukee returns to Wisconsin following the excursion to Louisiana with three-straight at home beginning with Edgewood, Central Michigan, and opening league play with Green Bay to close out the month of November.
CATCH ALL THE ACTION
Matt Menzl returns for his eighth year as the play-by-play voice of the Panthers on the Black and Gold Network. Links for audio along with any TV coverage can be found on MKEPanthers.com. The Milwaukee women's basketball X account (@MKE_WBB) will also have live updates throughout the game.
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 $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) and cancel at any time.
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