YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – For the first time since the 2016-17 season the Milwaukee women's basketball team had 14 three-pointers in a game, as the Panthers knocked off the Youngstown State Penguins by the score of 75-54 at the Beeghly Center.
 
The 14 three-pointers were the most for a Panther team since defeating Cleveland State on February 11, 2017, by a 76-72 margin. The program record is 17, which was set back during the 2012-13 campaign as Milwaukee knocked off Bradley in double overtime. The record for three-pointers in a regulation game is 16, set on November 18, 2014 at home against North Dakota.
 
Milwaukee (9-16, 7-10 Horizon) connected on 58.3 percent from three, which was the highest for the Panthers since the 2015-16 season, when Milwaukee connected on 68.8 percent from three (11-for-16) against Valparaiso on January 16 of that season.
 
"I'm most proud of our defense," said head coach Kyle Rechlicz after the game. "Our team has no quit, it's about sacrificing and helping each other and we didn't lack in that tonight. We made it incredibly hard for Youngstown to play, and this is by far the best we've played all year".
 
Angie Cera led the way for the Panthers with six three-point shots, a new career high, as she was 6-of-7 from beyond the arc as she finished th game with 20 points. Megan Walstad tied her career-high with three three-pointers made as she finished with 17 points while also securing 11 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season.
 
Kamy Peppler had 11 points with a pair of three-pointers and led MKE with seven assists, as the Panthers collected at least 20 assists for the fourth time this season and third time in the last five contests.
 
Milwaukee also had nine steals on the defensive side of the ball with three blocks, including a pair from Anna Lutz, who also had one three-pointer on the night as she finished the game with nine points. Hallie Majoros rounded out the three-point shooting on the night with a pair from beyond the arc.
 
The Panthers also tied their season-best with just nine turnovers, matching the January 14 contest at Purdue Fort Wayne.
 
Milwaukee got off to an ice-cold start after scoring the opening basket as the Penguins scored the next 13 points to take an 11-point advantage.
 
Rechlicz called a key timeout with 5:28 left in the opening quarter, which then sparked a layup by Lutz followed by a layup by Youngstown State. Walstad then connected on a three-point shot to pull the Panthers within eight. Cera later knocked down back-to-back threes to get Milwaukee within six as MKE trailed 25-19 after the opening quarter.
 
The Panthers continued their offensive onslaught on another layup by Cera, followed by a layup by Kendall Nead. Milwaukee trailed again by 10 at 36-26 but a layup by Grace Crowley sparked an 11-0 run for the Panthers as Majoros, Peppler, and Walstad all knocked down long-range shots to give Milwaukee its first lead since 2-0.
 
After the teams were tied at halftime, Cera opened the second half with another three-pointer followed by a layup by Crowley and a jumper by Jada Donaldson. Peppler and Lutz continued to the lengthy run as the Panthers led 51-39 with 2:55 left in the third.
 
Milwaukee led by as many as 13 in the third quarter, but that swelled to 15 as Cera made yet another three-pointer with 7:23 left in the fourth at 60-45. Peppler made her second three-pointer followed by the sixth three-pointer by Cera to put Milwaukee ahead by a 73-52 margin.
 
Lutz gave MKE its largest lead of the game at 75-52 with 1:19 left in the game, before the Penguins had one late layup to close out the scoring as the Panthers secured the 21-point victory.
 
Crowley ended the game with six points and four rebounds, while Nead had four points, three assists and three rebounds. Donaldson had the one basket with a pair of assists. Crowley and Peppler each had a team-best three steals.
 
Milwaukee goes for the weekend sweep on Sunday, when the Panthers visit Robert Morris for a 12 p.m. (CST) tip at the UPMC Events Center.