MILWAUKEE – For the second consecutive contest Milwaukee heads back to Illinois for a Friday evening matchup against the Eastern Illinois Panthers at 6:00 p.m. at Laker Field House on the campus of Lake Land College.

The game will be available on the Black & Gold Network, as Matt Menzl returns for his eighth season with the program, live video on ESPN+ and live stats will also be available at the links on MKEPanthers.com.

THE MATCHUP
Friday, December 15 | Milwaukee at Eastern Illinois | Laker Field House | Mattoon, Ill. | 6:00 p.m.

QUICK LINKS
Black & Gold Network: mkepanthers.com/coverage
ESPN+: mkepanthers.com/coverage
Live Stats: mkepanthers.com/coverage
Follow Along (On X): @MKE_WBB

FAST FACTS
» The Panthers visit Eastern Illinois on Friday evening in its final non-conference road game of the 2023-24 season. Milwaukee will play EIU at the Laker Field House on the campus of Lake Land College, in what will be the first road game for Milwaukee against the Panthers of EIU since December 10, 2015.
» This will be the sixth meeting between Milwaukee and Eastern Illinois, with MKE leading the all-time series 4-1 in the Division I era. The Panthers have not lost to Eastern Illinois on the road in two meetings in Charleston, Illinois.
» Milwaukee enters Friday's game coming off a loss to Loyola Chicago on Saturday afternoon, 60-47. Kendall Nead led all Panthers with 16 points, including three of the team's six three-point makes. Anna Lutz had a career-best three blocks in the loss, while Kamy Peppler led MKE with six rebounds.
» All Panther games will feature live stats and live audio with 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 PANTHERS (OF EASTERN ILLINOIS)
Through their first 10 games of the season, Eastern Illinois has wins against Chicago State, Valparaiso, and Bradley. Two of EIU's seven losses have come against the Horizon League, with a loss to IUPUI at the Jungle on November 6, 77-72, and an 81-67 loss this past Saturday at the Nutter Center against Wright State.

No stranger to the Horizon League, Eastern Illinois head coach Matt Bollant led Green Bay from 2007-12, which included 12 wins in as many meetings against Milwaukee. Bollant has 84 wins in his seven years with Eastern Illinois with 21 of those coming a season ago, including the December 10 meeting at the Klotsche Center, won by EIU by a 51-45 margin.

The Panthers average 64 points per game and allow 71 per contest while shooting 41.4 percent from the field. Eastern Illinois has only connected on 27.4 percent from three, and only average 13.2 assists per game. Milwaukee will look to take advantage of the turnover battle as EIU averages 17.9 turnovers per game, just a shade below MKE's mark.

Macy McGlone leads all Panthers with 16.9 points per game including a team-best 72 field goals and 22 free throws, she also leads the team in rebounds with 108 and blocks with 10 and is among the team leaders and is top three on the team in steals and assists. Miah Monahan is the other half of the M&M connection for EIU as she has 13.6 points per game with a team-best 43 assists and 13 steals.

The Panthers and Panthers have one common opponent, with Eastern Illinois playing Loyola Chicago on December 2 and falling by a 58-44 score. A week later, Milwaukee played Loyola Chicago and Milwaukee dropped the decision to the Ramblers, 60-47.

SERIES HISTORY / LAST MEETING
Milwaukee owns a 4-1 record in meetings as Division I opponents against the Panthers of Eastern Illinois heading into Friday's tilt. In eight all-time meetings pre-dating the Division I era, the two sides are even with a 4-4 record.

Since Milwaukee made the move to Division I, the Panthers are 1-2 in home games and are 2-0 in road matchups against Eastern Illinois. MKE's most recent visit to EIU came on December 10, 2015, resulting in an 82-71 victory for the Black & Gold. The team's first trip to Charleston was on January 8, 1994, and was a 71-49 victory for MKE.

Last year the team's met for the first time since that 2015 battle, and saw Eastern Illinois record their first win against the Panthers by a 51-45 score at the Klotsche Center. Despite the low-scoring affair, Angie Cera lit up the scoreboard with a career-best 21 points on a career-most seven field goals made as she finished the game 7-for-15 from the field including 4-of-9 from three. Kendall Nead added eight points, while Megan Walstad led Milwaukee with seven rebounds. The Panthers shot just 31.5 percent from the field on the game, the fifth-lowest of the season in 2022-23.

ELEVEN FOR TEN
Reaching double figures in scoring for the first 11 games of the season, Kendall Nead has put together the longest run of double-digit scoring performances since former teammate Megan Walstad had a stretch of 14 games during the 2021-22 season from January 8 to February 24.

To open the season the longest stretch prior to Nead was in 2017-18 season when Steph Kostowicz opened the year with 14 consecutive games in double-figure scoring from November 10 through December 30.

Over her current 11-game run, Nead has averaged 18.7 points per game. In comparison, Wal-stad scored 16.7 points per game, including a season-high 26 at Oakland on February 12, while Kostowicz' 14-game period of double-figure scoring saw her average 16.6 points per game.

NEAD'S SECOND-HALF SUCCESSES
With eight points in the second half of Saturday's matchup at Loyola Chicago, Kendall Nead has now scored 118 of her 206 points in the second half of games this season. Nead has upped her performance with more second half than first half points in seven of the team's first 11 games this year, including a 10-point improvement (eight in the first half, 18 in the second) against the Tommies on December 7.

During the first half of games this year Nead has shot 41.9 percent (39-of-93) and has upped that mark in crunch time to 48.5 percent (47-of-97) in the second halves.

TOPS IN THE LEAGUE
Through the first month of the college basketball season, Milwaukee is atop the Horizon League with 184 total assists and are second in the Horizon in assists per game at 16.73. The Panthers are also second in the league in free throw percentage at 79.3 percent with 111 makes on 140 attempts. In total offensive rebounds, Milwaukee is also second with 127 on the year for an average of 11.5 per game.

SWEET 17
For the first time in a regulation game, the Milwaukee Panthers connected on 17 three-pointers in a single game during the team's win over Central Michigan on November 25. It was the first time the Panthers had 17 in a single contest since December 4, 2012, when the team also had 17 in a double-overtime matchup against Bradley.

Milwaukee's previous mark for three-pointers in a regulation game was 16 on November 18, 2014, at North Dakota, while it was Milwaukee's most three-pointers in a home game in regulation since December 31, 2010, against Wright State with 15. Under Kyle Rechlicz, the team's most three-pointers in a home regulation game was 14 against Cleveland State on February 11, 2017.

DONALDSON'S ATR
With two assists and no turnovers against Loyola Chicago, Jada Donaldson now has a 3.58 assist/turnover ratio this season and leads all Horizon League players. That number is well above her career average of 2.10 assists to turnovers, with 143 assists and 68 turnovers in 82 career games.

Donaldson is 12th in all of Division I with her 3.58 assist/turnover ratio, as the national leader is Rori Harmon at Texas with a 7.40 (74 assists/10 turnovers).

Milwaukee as a team has a 0.91 assist/turnover ratio (184 assists/202 turnovers), which is third-best in the Horizon League and 123rd in the nation. Green Bay leads the conference with a 1.59 assist/turnover ratio with 137 assists against 86 turnovers.

AT THE LINE FOR MILWAUKEE
Milwaukee is second in the Horizon League and 15th in NCAA Division I this season in free throw percentage, connecting on 79.3 percent from the charity stripe.

The Panthers are led by Horizon League leader Angie Cera, who is 26-for-26 on the season. Jorey Buwalda is 23-for-25 on the year from the line. Grace Crowley is 9-for-11, Anna Lutz is 4-for-5, and Vanessa Jurewicz is 1-for-1 and are all ahead of the team average.

TOPS IN MINUTES
Milwaukee has been able to rely heavily on its veteran leaders to help lead the way with four players averaging 30 minutes or more per game. Kamy Peppler leads the team at 33.2 minutes per game followed closely by Jada Donaldson at 32.8 minutes per game. Angie Cera is third on the team at 32.5 minutes per contest, while Kendall Nead also averages 30.9 minutes per game. All four Panthers are in the top-11 in the Horizon League in minutes per game.

KAMY FOR THREE
Thus far through team's first 11 games, Kamy Peppler is leading the Horizon League with an average of 2.4 three-point field goals per game. Peppler has had two performances with six three-pointers including the team's home opener against UIC, where she also set a new career high in points with 25, while she also had six three-point baskets against McNeese for 22 points. Peppler is 17th in the Horizon League in scoring as she is averaging 11.7 points per game this year.

FIRST CONFERENCE WIN
On December 3, the Panthers won their first game in Horizon League play against IUPUI knocking off the Jaguars by a 70-59 score, it was the first time this season that the Panthers won a game decided between 11-15 points.

Milwaukee started the year 1-1 in Horizon League play for the seventh time in the 12 seasons under head coach Kyle Rechlicz. Milwaukee has gone 2-0 just twice under Rechlicz including the 2021-22 season, while the Panthers have started 0-2 in its first two league games one three occasions.

20/20 VISION
Milwaukee has had its leading scorer score at least 20 points during the team's six-game stretch from November 12-25, including Kamy Peppler against UIC (25), Kendall Nead against Louisiana Monroe (21), and McNeese (38), Jorey Buwalda against Mississippi Valley (20), Nead again against Edgewood (20), and Anna Lutz versus Central Michigan (23).

It's the first time Milwaukee has had a leading scorer reach at least 20 points over a six-game stretch since the 2015-16 season, when Milwaukee had it happen in eight consecutive games. From mid-February to early March, Jenny Lindner had 23 points for Milwaukee versus Youngstown State, followed by Steph Kostowicz against Valparaiso (27), and UIC (24), Sierra Ford-Washington led Milwaukee against Northern Kentucky (24), and Wright State (26), followed by Lindner and Kostowicz with 32 each against Oakland, Lindner against Detroit Mercy (20), in postseason play against Wright State (31).

WEEKLY HONORS
On November 27, the Horizon League recognized its student-athletes of the week honorees with Milwaukee represented for the first time in the three weeks of reporting. Earning Freshman of the Week honors was newcomer Jorey Buwalda, who shot 72.7 percent from the field with eight makes in 11 attempts. She averaged 21 minutes per game and pulled down 12 rebounds on the week while also picking up one assist and two steals. From the free throw line, Buwalda went unblemished in two attempts.

ONLY THE THIRD
During the team's win against host McNeese at the Multi-Team Event in Lake Charles, Louisiana, junior Kendall Nead scored 38 points for a career-best, while also becoming just the third difference Panther to score at least 38 points in a game.

All-Time leading scorer Traci Edwards reached 38 twice in her career, including the program record of 45 in February 2008, Edwards also scored 42 points in January 2007. Andrea Filipek in January 1999 was the only other Panther to reach 38+ points in a game.

THE RECORD-TYING-SHOT
Kendall Nead not only scored 38 points in the November 17 win over McNeese, but she did so on 17 field goals as she tied the single-game record for field goals made in a game. Nead finished the game 17-for-23 from the field with three of those coming from three-point range including her final two makes with 7:32 and 7:03 left in the fourth quarter. Traci Edwards held the top spot alone since January of 2007 as the only player to score 17 field goals in a game prior to Nead.

Nead's 23 attempts were also the third-most in a game, while her shooting percentage was also third-best among the now five players all time to score at least 14 field goals in a game. Avyanna Young shot 15-for-19 (78.9%), while Maria Viall was 14-for-18 (77.7%), Nead slots into third at 73.9%, followed by Jenny Lindner at 14-for-24 (58.3%), and Traci Edwards at 17-for-33 (53.5%). No player in Milwaukee history has ever ended a game with 16 field goals made.

EIGHTY-EIGHT IS PRETTY GREAT
In the team's 88-67 win over McNeese on November 17, Milwaukee scored its highest point total since the Panthers scored 90 points on February 23, 2018, against Detroit Mercy. The performance over McNeese was also Milwaukee's highest road point total since the team also scored 88 at UIC on January 5, 2017.

A HELPING HAND
With 27 assists during the team's win over McNeese, Milwaukee had the most assists in a single game since the team recorded its program record of 31 set back in December 2012 against Bradley in double overtime.

The last time Milwaukee had at least 27 assists in a regulation game came back in 2000, when the Panthers had 28 against Central Michigan in December of that year. The team also had 28 assists against Chicago State in January of 2000, while the only other time Milwaukee had 27 assists in a game came back in January of 1991, during its inaugural Division I season against Northeastern Illinois.

BUWALDA'S BREAKOUT
Thrust into a starting position at the McNeese Multi-Team Event, Jorey Buwalda enjoyed success as she averaged a double-double over the team's three-game stretch. Buwalda scored 10.7 points per game and averaged a team-best 11.7 rebounds per contest in helping Milwaukee to a 2-1 week in Louisiana.

Buwalda began the weekend with nine rebounds against Louisiana Monroe before pulling down a season-best 14 in the team's convincing win over host McNeese. She followed that up with the first double-double of her career with 20 points and 12 rebounds against Mississippi Valley State including the first six points of the game for the Panthers in the Saturday matchup.

During the double-double performance against the Devilettes, Buwalda went 8-for-8 from the free throw line, which was three shy of the Panther freshman record of 11 set by Courtney Lindfors in November 2010, when she went 11-for-15 in the team's road win over Chicago State.

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.

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 this season, with double-digit offensive boards in six of their first 11 games including a season-best 19 against Louisiana Monroe on November 16. Milwaukee has scored 125 second chance points this year, including a season-high 16 second-chance points against McNeese on November 17.

This season Milwaukee has earned more second-chance points in seven of their 11 matchups during the 2023-24 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 eight seasons, Milwaukee is 97-35 (.735) when hitting at least 40 percent from the field. Bump that field goal percentage to 43 percent and the Panthers are 84-18 (.824).

When shooting under 40 percent since 2016-17, Milwaukee is just 26-70 (.271). The Panthers are 1-2 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 4-13 when they have committed 18 or more fouls in a contest.

WHAT'S ON TAP?
The team will wrap up out-of-league play at home against Viterbo on December 20 as the team kicks off another three-game homestand, which includes conference meetings with Purdue Fort Wayne on December 30 and Cleveland State on January 1.

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.