INDIANAPOLIS – The Milwaukee women's basketball team won their first Horizon League game of the season on Sunday afternoon, as the Panthers outscored the Jaguars by a 70-59 score at The Jungle.
 
The Panthers shot 43.1 percent from the field and were also able to go 14-of-16 from the line, the third-most free throw total in a game for Milwaukee this season. On defense, MKE held the Jaguars under 60 points for the third time this season and improved to 3-0 in games when doing so.
 
Milwaukee exploded out of the gate and held a 35-24 lead at the halftime break, while the team did just enough to keep the Jaguars in check at the end despite a comeback attempt late in the game that saw the Panther lead trimmed to six. Ultimately, Milwaukee outscored its host 10-4 in the final four minutes to earn the win, 70-59.
 
"I told our team after the game, sometimes it's not going to be pretty on the road, but we have to find a way to be more consistent," said head coach Kyle Rechlicz after the game. "The rest of our non-conference schedule has some top mid-major teams coming in, and we need to play consistent from start to finish to earn wins in those games."
 
Milwaukee was led by Kendall Nead with 16 points, including 12 in the second half, as she led the team with seven field goals made and was tied for the team lead with seven rebounds.
 
Anna Lutz scored early for the Panthers in the paint and ended the game with 12 points and six rebounds, with three assists and a block. Angie Cera was also in double figures in scoring with 11 points including the final Panther field goal with a three-pointer with 42 seconds to go.
 
Kamy Peppler had a team-best six assists and scored eight points on the game; Jada Donaldson had six points with five rebounds while securing two of Milwaukee's four steals on the game. Jorey Buwalda was tied for the team lead with seven rebounds while also scoring seven points on the game.
 
Grace Crowley scored a season-high eight points on the game and pulled down three rebounds, with Jada Williams adding a bucket in the opening quarter in helping contribute to Milwaukee's early advantage.
 
The Panthers jumped out to a quick lead as Milwaukee established an inside presence with a layup and two free throws from Lutz, before Lutz gave Milwaukee a 6-2 lead after a Jaguar layup. Peppler stepped back for a three followed by a Nead layup to put the visitors up by nine before the Jaguars scored the next 12 to take a 14-11 advantage.
 
The game of runs continued as Lutz got the rally started with another layup for the Panthers, Williams hit a hook shot in the paint before Cera drilled a three-pointer to give Milwaukee a two-score lead at 18-14. Cera then record a three-point play as the Panthers led 21-14 after the opening quarter, as the MKE defense held IUPUI scoreless through the final 2:20 of the quarter.
 
Milwaukee's run continued to open the second period as the Panthers ultimately went on a 18-2 run, to give the Black and Gold a 29-16 advantage. After four points by the Jaguars, Donaldson found Crowley all alone under the basket for a layup, followed by make in the paint by Buwalda. The sides exchanged free throws down the stretch as the Panthers held a 35-24 lead at the break.
 
After halftime, Nead and Peppler began to heat up with a pair of field goals each to extend Milwaukee's lead to 44-28. Donaldson then took a pass to the right wing and knocked down a three of her own to put Milwaukee up by 19 points. IUPUI scored eight of the final 10 points in the third as the Jaguars got the deficit down to 13 at 54-41.
 
Lutz, Cera, and Crowley outscored the Jaguars with a 6-2 stretch to extend Milwaukee's lead back to 16 at 60-44, but another 10-point run by the Jaguars sliced the Panther lead back down to six with 4:32 to go in the game.
 
Crowley stemmed the tide with a layup, before a rebound and a key three-point play by Nead gave Milwaukee an 11-point lead again at 65-54. Nead sank another jumper off a pass by Lutz following a Jaguar turnover with 2:44 left. IUPUI scored the next three on a layup plus a free throw.
 
Peppler found Cera for a corner three in front of the Panther bench to deliver a key punch to the Jaguar defense, as Milwaukee regained a 13-points lead with 42 seconds to go. Two free throws by IUPUI late in the game closed out the scoring as Milwaukee came out on top by a 70-59 margin.
 
Milwaukee returns home on Thursday as non-conference play resumes at 7:00 p.m. at the Klotsche Center against first-time opponent St. Thomas.