MADISON, Wis. – The Milwaukee women's basketball season opened at the Kohl Center in the state capital on Tuesday evening, and after a slow start the Panthers fought back to get within five but it was the Badgers to emerge late with the 62-51 win.
 
Kendall Nead led the Panthers with 18 points, including 14 in the second half, with eight field goals including a pair from three. Kamy Peppler scored nine points with a team-high seven assists and four steals, while also registering six rebounds.
 
Anna Lutz had a pair of sevens with both points and rebounds, while Grace Crowley led the Panthers with nine rebounds and added three steals. Jada Williams had four points and five rebounds in her collegiate debut, while Jada Donaldson had four points on the night.
 
The Panthers trailed 36-23 in the opening half but fought back and got the deficit down to five points in the fourth quarter. It was ultimately the Badgers to score the final six points on free throws to come away with the win by 11.
 
"In that first quarter we just needed to calm down and settle in, but our defense started to pick up in the second quarter," noted coach Kyle Rechlicz postgame. "We talk about what our identity is going to be as a team, and that toughness and resiliency has to be who we are. I was proud of those moments of resiliency."
 
Wisconsin scored the initial eight points of the game before Lutz broke the seal on the season for the Panthers with a layup, Donaldson then knocked down a jumper to trim the lead in half to 8-4. After a pair of buckets from the Badgers, Peppler connected on a left corner three to pull Milwaukee within two possessions. Wisconsin pulled away late in the first and led 20-9 after the opening 10 minutes.
 
The opening three field goals in the second quarter were made by the Badgers before Cera poured in a three-point basket from the left elbow to score the first basket of the period. Milwaukee's offense struggled from the field down the stretch of the opening half and were able to connect on one field goal and nine free throws and trailed 36-23 at the break.
 
Nead took over for the Panther offense in the third quarter after Wisconsin scored the first two baskets. Nead connected on her first three-pointer of the season before making a layup and then knocked down her second three-pointer to make it a three-possession game at 40-31.
 
The Badgers closed out the third quarter on an 8-2 run and led by a 48-33 score heading to the final 10 minutes of regulation.
 
Milwaukee scored the opening seven points in the fourth quarter kicked off by a Peppler three-pointer from the top of the arc that kickstarted the rally. Nead went back-to-back on jumpers with the second coming off a steal by Milwaukee on the defensive end to trim the deficit back to eight at 48-40.
 
After a Wisconsin basket, Peppler connected on a high arching shot off the glass that was answered again by a Badger layup. Lutz then followed with a putback layup to make it a 10-point game once again at 54-44. The Milwaukee defense continued to make stops and force turnovers to open an opportunity for Lutz to drain a three-pointer off a quick dish by Peppler and make it a seven-point game.
 
Milwaukee responded to a pair of Wisconsin free throws with a layup by newcomer Vanessa Jurewicz for the 1,000th point of her career, followed by a Nead layup to get Milwaukee within five at 56-51. The Badgers were able to convert on late free throws to keep the game at enough of a lead to hang on for the 62-51 victory.
 
Milwaukee will return home on Sunday, November 12 as the Panthers will play host to the UIC Flame for a 2:00 p.m. start at the Klotsche Center.