LAKE CHARLES, La. – The Milwaukee basketball team fell to the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks on Thursday evening by the score of 73-67 at the Legacy Center in Western Louisiana.
 
The Panthers trailed by one at the half after a closely contested first 20 minutes that saw eight lead changes and two ties. ULM held a 20-12 advantage in the third quarter to take a 50-41 lead into the final quarter. The Panthers were able to cut into the lead in the fourth, but it proved to be too much to overcome as Milwaukee fell to 0-3 on the young season.
 
"We can't give up 21 offensive boards leading 26 second-chance points, that was the game. We have to finish our plays, both on offense and defense," said head coach Kyle Rechlicz. "We need to fix those things because we have the potential to be a special team, and if we can fix those things the wins will come.
 
Milwaukee was led by Kendall Nead, who tallied a season-best 21 points, while tying her season-high with a pair of three-pointers. Nead also had a season-best nine rebounds. Angie Cera got off to a quick start for the Panthers with a pair of three pointers as she ended the game with 15 points and five rebounds to go along with two steals.
 
Kamy Peppler had 11 points including six from the line to go along with four assists, while Jada Donaldson led the Panthers with five assists and got on the scoresheet with six points. Jorey Buwalda made her first collegiate start and had a team-best nine rebounds while scoring five second-half points.
 
Vanessa Jurewicz ended the game with five points and three rebounds, while Justina Hernandez had four points. Jada Williams chipped in with three of Milwaukee's 42 rebounds, which included 20 offensive boards.
 
ULM got the first basket, but Cera responded on the ensuing possession with a three-pointer. Milwaukee took the lead again at 6-5 before the Warhawks wrestled back the lead at 8-6 with a three-pointer before Nead took a pass from Buwalda to knot the score at eight. After a steal by Peppler on the defensive end Cera connected on another three-pointer to put the Panthers ahead 11-8.
 
The Panthers extended their lead as Nead had a free throw before adding a layup on the next series off steal by Cera on defense. The Panthers led by as many as seven in the first half with a 16-9 lead after a pair at the line from Peppler. ULM scored the last two shots of the quarter and went into the second period down by three.
 
Milwaukee got the first three points in the second quarter on a free throw by Nead and a basket by Hernandez. The Panthers held onto a lead through the middle minutes of the second quarter before ULM connected on a three-pointer to take a 24-23 lead with just over three minutes left in the half.

After MKE took the lead back, the Warhawks had a layup in the final seconds to take a 30-29 lead into the halftime break.
 
ULM opened the second half on a 6-1 run to take a 36-31 lead before Peppler connected on a three-point shot on the right wing off a pass from Cera to break the stretch. After six unanswered by the Warhawks put ULM ahead by nine, Jurewicz scored a layup and made the following free throw to get the Panthers back within two scores at 42-36.
 
The Warhawks gained a nine-point lead at the end of the quarter at 50-41 with 10 minutes of regulation left to play.
 
In the fourth quarter the Warhawks added to its lead in the early going and took a 14-point advantage midway through the quarter. Milwaukee had an extended offensive possession with three offensive rebounds before Buwalda converted, followed by another Buwalda make off a Warhawk turnover. Buwalda was fouled in the process and connected on the following free throw to make it a 62-53 lead.
 
After a pair from the line by ULM, Donaldson got in on the scoring action with a three-pointer to slice into the lead and bring it down to eight. Nead later connected on a three-point basket to make it a seven-point game with just over two minutes left. The Panther continued to claw their way back into the game on a free throw by Hernandez and a layup by Peppler with 45 seconds left. ULM scored the next five via free throw, before Milwaukee ended the game with a three-pointer by Nead to close out the scoring as the comeback fell six points shy.
 
Milwaukee gets right back to action on Friday evening, when the Panthers take on host McNeese at 7:00 p.m. from the Legacy Center on Joe Dumars Court.