MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee women's basketball team led wire-to-wire on Thursday evening and cruised to a 30-point victory over the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons inside the Klotsche Center, winning the game by the score of 64-34.
 
The Panthers (10-17, 8-11 Horizon) scored the first 13 points of the game and did not turn back, holding the Mastodons (12-17, 9-10 Horizon) to a program-best 11 points in the opening half with a 33-11 lead at the break. The 11 points in one half is the best defensive effort in the all-time history of Panther basketball in the Division I era, eclipsing the mark of 12 most recently set back in early December 2020 against Marquette.
 
"We've bought into the defensive side over the last three games," said head coach Kyle Rechlicz. "That first-half defense was just incredible."
 
Megan Walstad led the way for the Panthers with her 24th career double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while also tying her season-best with three blocks on the night. Walstad finished the game going 7-for-10 from the field as the Panthers hit on 24-of-52 (46.2 percent) from the floor as a unit.
 
"When we needed burst of scores, people stepped up like [Megan] Walstad," added Rechlicz. "I really like where she is at from an offensive and defensive perspective, she's a big catalyst for how we're playing right now."
 
The Panthers once again had a strong passing game with 19 assists on 24 made field goals, reaching at least 19 assists on seven occasions this season including five of the team's last eight contests.
 
Tied for the game-high with 10 rebounds was Grace Crowley, who ended the night with nine points and 10 boards. Kamy Peppler had eight points and led MKE with six assists and three steals on the night, while Kendall Nead returned to double-figure scoring with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting.
 
With the early 13-0 lead, the Panthers continued to pressure the Mastodons defensively and closed out the quarter on an 8-0 run to take a 21-2 lead after the opening 10 minutes.
 
The surge continued as Walstad made back-to-back shots followed by a shot from Jessi Giles to put the Panthers ahead by 25 with 7:33 left in the half. Purdue Fort Wayne got back within 20 at 29-9 before Nead made a jumper off a feed by Crowley. The Panthers led by 22 at the break, holding Purdue Fort Wayne to just 4-of-28 (14.3 percent) in the opening half.
 
Walstad got the ball rolling in the second half with a layup off a feed by Angie Cera, while Nead responded to a Mastodon layup with a three-pointer. The teams exchanged baskets before Anna Lutz got in on the scoring action with 1:24 left in the third with a layup and-one. Jessi Giles put the icing on the quarter with a layup to put the Panthers up 47-17 for the largest lead of the game to that point.

Purdue Fort Wayne fought to within 23 points with 5:43 to go in the game, trimming the Milwaukee advantage to 55-32. Walstad connected on her only three-pointer of the night before Nead added a layup. Justina Hernandez and Lior Halevi got in late on the action with fastbreak layups off steals by Peppler and Hallie Majoros.
 
Cera ended the game with five points to go along with two assists and two steals, while Giles finished the game with four points and three boards. Emma Wittmershaus returned to the Panther lineup and scored a pair from the line while also picking up seven rebounds.
 
Milwaukee will wrap-up the regular season on Saturday, when the team plays host to the Cleveland State Vikings beginning at 1:00 p.m. from the Klotsche Center.