FAST FACTS
» With 18 games left on the schedule, the Milwaukee women's basketball team welcomes the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons to the Klotsche Center for a Horizon League tilt at 2:00 p.m.
» Milwaukee enters as winners of two-straight contests, including the team's historic 100-37 win over Viterbo its last time out on December 20. Four Panthers reached double-figures in scoring on Wednesday including team leaders
Kendall Nead and
Kamy Peppler with 17 points apiece,
Anna Lutz added 14, while
Grace Crowley scored 11. Lutz also led the team with 10 rebounds, for the first double-double of her career.
» Purdue Fort Wayne is 8-4 overall and enters Saturday's contest with a 2-0 mark in Horizon games, The 'Dons also played an NAIA program its last time out and knocked off Aquinas by a 77-43 score, Shayla Sellers had a double-double for Purdue Fort Wayne with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Amellia Bromenschenkel continues to be among the league leaders in scoring with another 16-point effort. Erin Woodson had one of her best games as a freshman with 15 points.
» 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 MASTODONS
Purdue Fort Wayne has a 2-0 mark in Horizon League games after knocking off Oakland, 84-66, on November 30, and Wright State by a 71-60 score on December 3. The Mastodons have gone 2-2 in games since its conference wins including a victory in its most recent game against NAIA member Aquinas, 77-43 on December 21.
Third-year head coach Maria Marchesano leads a 12-player PFW roster into Wisconsin this weekend, with graduate student Shayla Sellers and senior Amellia Bromenschenkel leading the way on offense. Bromenschenkel nets 13.9 points per game and is leading the team from the field as she has connected on 48.4 percent from the field, while also stepping back to knock down 45.0 percent of her shots from three. Sellers has been a tick below from the field at 45.1 percent overall, and 42.6 percent from three, while scoring 11.8 points per game.
Bromenschenkel also leads Purdue Fort Wayne in rebounding at 6.7 boards per game and in blocks with 10, she is also second on the team with 28 assists and among the team leaders with 12 steals this season. Junior Audra Emmerson is the only other Mastodon to start in all 12 games for PFW and leads the team with 29 assists. Freshman Erin Woodson and senior Sydney Graber have appeared in all 12 games for the Mastodons.
This season, Purdue Fort Wayne has outscored opponents 76.3 to 65.9, averaging better than 10.4 points per game than their opponents, which is third-best in the Horizon League trailing league favorites Green Bay (+14.6) and Cleveland State (+14.1). The team has also knocked down 43.5 percent from the field in comparison to the 39.9 percent by its opponents. The Mastodons are top-five in all statistical categories in the Horizon League, except for a sixth place showing in rebounding margin at +1.2 per game, in comparison Milwaukee is third in the league with a +3.7 rebounding margin.
SERIES HISTORY / LAST MEETING
Milwaukee is 9-3 in all-time meetings with Purdue Fort Wayne dating back to their inaugural meeting in February 2004. The Panthers have won eight of the last nine meetings, which includes last season's split that saw MKE fall in Indiana, before bouncing back with an impressive 64-34 showing at home on February 23 last season.
In the team's win in late February, the Panthers had its best defensive half in program history allowing just 11 first-half points to the Mastodons with a 33-11 halftime lead. MKE shot 46.2 percent from the field including a 7-for-10 effort by
Megan Walstad (17 points), 5-for-9 showing from
Kendall Nead (12 points), and 3-of-5 from the field from
Kamy Peppler (8 points). On the opposite end of the court, Purdue Fort Wayne shot just 24.1 percent from the field, including a 4-for-28 effort in the opening half (22.2 percent).
HISTORIC NIGHT VERSUS THE V-HAWKS
Milwaukee blitzed the Viterbo V-Hawks on December 20, recording a 100-37 victory in its non-conference finale at the Klotshce Center. The 63-point scoring margin was the largest margin of victory for the team in Division I program history, with the previous mark coming on February 2, 2002, against Youngstown State, when the Panthers won by a 100-46 score.
The 100-point mark for Milwaukee was the first time the Panthers had reached the century mark in a regulation contest since the dual with Youngstown State at home in 2002. In the showing against the Penguins, Milwaukee connected on a then program record of 14 three-pointers, while this time around against the V-Hawks the Panthers only had six three-pointers, while making 39-of-69 from the field overall.
The 39 field goals tied the program record of makes in a regulation contest, set back in the team's inaugural Division I season, when the team also made 39 against Northeastern Illinois on January 22, 1991. The overall program record is 46, during a double-overtime matchup against Bradley on December 4, 2012.
The defense stood up against the Viterbo offense, yielding just 37 points the fewest since the February 23, 2023, matchup at home against Purdue Fort Wayne that saw Milwaukee win by a 64-34 score. In that game, Milwaukee held the Mastodons to just 11 points in the first half to set a new program record, the Panthers nearly tied that mark as MKE allowed just 12 first-half points to Viterbo on December 20.
THIRTEEN FOR TEN
Reaching double figures in scoring for the first 13 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 13-game run, Nead has averaged 18.6 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 six points in the second half of the team's matchup vs. Viterbo,
Kendall Nead has now scored 134 of her 242 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 13 games this year, including a 10-point improvement (eight in the first half, 18 in the second) against St. Thomas on December 7.
During the first half of games this year Nead has shot 43.6 percent (48-of-110) and has upped that mark in crunch time to 47.3 percent (53-of-112) in the second halves.
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.
AT THE LINE FOR MILWAUKEE
Milwaukee is third in the Horizon League and 21st in NCAA Division I this season in free throw percentage, connecting on 77.9 percent from the charity stripe.
The Panthers are led by Horizon League leader
Angie Cera, who is 28-for-28 on the season.
Jorey Buwalda is 25-for-27 on the year from the line.
Grace Crowley is 10-for-12, while
Jada Donaldson and
Anna Lutz are both is 7-for-9 and right around team average.
DONALDSON'S ATR
With two assists and one turnover against Viterbo,
Jada Donaldson now has a 2.88 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 146 assists and 72 turnovers in 84 career games.
Donaldson is 25th in all of Division I with her 2.88 assist/turnover ratio, as the national leader is Rori Harmon at Texas with a 6.64 (93 assists/14 turnovers).
Milwaukee as a team has a 0.96 assist/turnover ratio (222 assists/232 turnovers), which is third-best in the Horizon League and 102nd in the nation. Green Bay leads the conference with a 1.61 assist/turnover ratio with 203 assists against 126 turnovers.
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 32.9 minutes per game followed closely by
Jada Donaldson at 31.8 minutes per game.
Kendall Nead is third on the team at 30.8 minutes per contest, while
Angie Cera also averages 30.4 minutes per game. All four Panthers are in the top-15 in the Horizon League in minutes per game.
KAMY FOR THREE
Thus far through team's first 13 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.
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).
NEAD'S NIGHT IN LOUISIANA
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.
Nead connected on 17 field goals against McNeese as she tied the single-game record for field goals made in a game. She 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.
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.
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.
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 seven of their first 13 games including a season-best 20 against Viterbo on December 20. Milwaukee has scored 149 second chance points this year, including a season-high 22 second-chance points against Viterbo.
This season Milwaukee has earned more second-chance points than their opponents in eight of their 13 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 99-35 (.739) when hitting at least 40 percent from the field. Bump that field goal percentage to 43 percent and the Panthers are 85-18 (.825).
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 7-1. On the contrary, the Panthers are 4-13 when they have committed 18 or more fouls in a contest.
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.
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.
WHAT'S ON TAP?
After taking on Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday, the Panthers will play another 2:00 p.m. matinee on New Year's Day, when Milwaukee hosts Cleveland State at the Klotsche Center. MKE will be on the road at Wright State on January 5, and Northern Kentucky on January 7 for its first two-game Horizon League road trip of the 2023-24 season.
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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