FAST FACTS
» For the final time this season, Milwaukee will take on competition outside of the Horizon League, as the Panthers welcome in the Viterbo V-Hawks to the Klotsche Center. This will be the first meeting for the two programs during regular season competition, Milwaukee and Viterbo met in an exhibition on October 30, 2019, with the Panthers coasting to a 106-43 victory.
» Milwaukee enters off a defensive battle that saw the Panthers come out on top against Eastern Illinois on Friday evening. MKE outscored EIU by a 59-52 margin.
Kendall Nead led the Panthers with her first double-double of the season at 19 points and 13 rebounds. Three Panthers were in double figures in scoring as Nead along with
Kamy Peppler (14) and
Angie Cera (11). Peppler led the Panthers with five assists and three steals, and was in a four-way tie for the team lead in blocks with
Jorey Buwalda,
Vanessa Jurewicz, and Nead, with one each.
» 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 V-HAWKS
With a record of 2-6 entering Tuesday, the V-Hawks will play at home on Tuesday evening before traveling to Milwaukee on Wednesday evening. The V-Hawks will play three games in three days, as the team will then travel to St. Francis in Chicago on Thursday afternoon. Viterbo has wins over Graceland on November 10, and knocked off St. Francis at home on November 15.
Emma Wagner has been a staple in the V-Hawk lineup as the senior guard has started in all eight of the team's games and leads the squad with an average of 11 points per game while averaging just 24 minutes per contest. Emily McCurdy started in the first six games but has missed the last two and is second on the team with an average of 9.2 points per game. Aside from Wagner the only other V-Hawk to start in every contest this season is junior guard Macy Stellner, who adds 8.9 points per contest.
McCurdy is the team's leading rebounder at 6.2 boards per game with 37 on the season. Freshman Pearla Teko-Folly has stepped into a starting role with McCurdy out of the rotation and has pulled down 35 boards on eight games and two starts. Freshman guard Marley Hughes has been a spark off the bench and leads the team with 19 assists and a 2.4 assist/turnover ratio in eight games. Viterbo likes to pressure shots and have outblocked opponents at a 30-20 margin through their first eight games this season.
In their most recent game on December 8, Viterbo fell to Haskell by a 68-62 score at home. Wagner led the way with 15 points, while both Stellner and Teko-Folly ended the game with 14 points apiece. In just her second career start, Teko-Folly had a double-double as she added 12 rebounds to her offensive effort.
SERIES HISTORY / LAST MEETING
This will be the first-ever meeting in the regular season between Milwaukee and Viterbo. The two teams played an exhibition contest at the beginning of the 2019-20 campaign on October 30, with Milwaukee coming out on top by a 106-43 score.
Five players scored in double figures for the Panthers on that night, including an impressive 10-for-11 performance by
Emma Wittmershaus for 22 points off the bench to lead the way.
Grace Crowley is the only current Panther to play in that game, with eight minutes off the bench. She added three steals with a block and an assist in the effort. A total of 18 players saw time in the game for the V-Hawks.
TWELVE FOR TEN
Reaching double figures in scoring for the first 12 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 12-game run, Nead has averaged 18.8 points per game. In comparison, Walstad 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 128 of her 225 points in the second half of games this season. Nead has upped her performance with more second half than first half points in eight of the team's first 12 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 42.5 percent (43-of-101) and has upped that mark in crunch time to 47.7 percent (51-of-107) in the second halves.
TOPS IN THE LEAGUE
Through the first month of the college basketball season, Milwaukee is atop the Horizon League with 198 total assists and are second in the Horizon in assists per game at 16.50. The Panthers are also third in the league in free throw percentage at 77.6 percent with 118 makes on 152 attempts. In total offensive rebounds, Milwaukee is also second with 135 on the year for an average of 11.3 per game.
WEEKLY HONORS
Kendall Nead earned her first career Horizon League Player of the Week honor this past Monday, as she recorded a double-double in the team's win over Eastern Illinois. Nead finished the game with 19 points and 13 rebounds, while also adding two steals, a block and an assist in the team's seven-point win over the Panthers of EIU.
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.
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 one assist and three turnovers against Eastern Illinois,
Jada Donaldson now has a 2.93 assist/turnover ratio this season and is second in the Horizon League. That number is well above her career average of 2.03 assists to turnovers, with 144 assists and 71 turnovers in 83 career games.
Donaldson is 20th in all of Division I with her 2.93 assist/turnover ratio, as the national leader is Rori Harmon at Texas with a 6.07 (85 assists/14 turnovers).
Milwaukee as a team has a 0.90 assist/turnover ratio (198 assists/219 turnovers), which is third-best in the Horizon League and 126th in the nation. Green Bay leads the conference with a 1.58 assist/turnover ratio with 172 assists against 109 turnovers.
AT THE LINE FOR MILWAUKEE
Milwaukee is third in the Horizon League and 33rd in NCAA Division I this season in free throw percentage, connecting on 77.6 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,
Jada Donaldson is 7-for-9, and
Anna Lutz is 4-for-5 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 33.3 minutes per game followed closely by
Jada Donaldson at 32.6 minutes per game.
Angie Cera is third on the team at 31.4 minutes per contest, while
Kendall Nead also averages 31.1 minutes per game. All four Panthers are in the top-10 in the Horizon League in minutes per game.
KAMY FOR THREE
Thus far through team's first 12 games,
Kamy Peppler is leading the Horizon League with an average of 2.3 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 14th in the Horizon League in scoring as she is averaging 11.9 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 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).
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 12 games including a season-best 19 against Louisiana Monroe on November 16. Milwaukee has scored 127 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 than their opponents in seven of their 12 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 98-35 (.737) 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 6-1. On the contrary, the Panthers are 4-13 when they have committed 18 or more fouls in a contest.
WHAT'S ON TAP?
It will be Horizon League play for the duration of the regular season for the Panthers, as Milwaukee will play the remaining 18 games of the season within the conference. After starting the year 1-1 in Horizon contests, the Panthers will resume league play on Saturday, December 30 at 2:00 p.m. vs. Purdue Fort Wayne, and Cleveland State on Monday, January 1 at 2:00 p.m., with both games at the Klotsche Center on the Milwaukee campus.
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.
