MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Panthers women's basketball team continues its trip to Michigan, heading into Detroit to take on the Detroit Mercy Titans at Calihan Hal beginning at 12:00 pm CST on Sunday afternoon.

The game can be viewed on ESPN+; while live stats and live audio on the Black & Gold Network with Matt Menzl on the call are also be available on MKEPanthers.com.

SCOUTING THE TITANS
Detroit Mercy comes into Sunday afternoon's contest on a seven-game losing streak that has dropped the Titans to 3-19 overall and 1-12 in Horizon League contests. Detroit's last win came on January 7 at home against Robert Morris.

The Titans played Green Bay on Friday evening and fell to the Phoenix by a 56-47 score. The game was a defensive slog in the first quarter as Green Bay led 9-2 after the opening period. The Titans did win the fourth quarter, outscoring Green Bay by a 19-16 margin.

During the game against Green Bay, the Titans shot better than 40 percent for the sixth time in their last eight games after only accomplishing the feat three times in their first 14 games.

Murua leads the team in scoring averaging 11.2 points per game over the team's 22 contests and is the only player to start in every contest, and one of just four student-athletes to appear in all of the team's games. Murua is fourth in the Horizon League in rebounding, averaging 7.9 boards per game. Trawally Porta is tops in the conference averaging 1.9 blocks per game with 38 through 20 games played.

Detroit averages 54.3 points per game this season and yield 74.6 points per game, the offense is last in the league and the defense is 10th of 11 Horizon League games.

LAST TIME THEY MET
History was made in the Klotsche Center in late December when the Panthers and Titans clashed in Milwaukee, as the Panthers held the Titans to just 29 points total and yielded single digits in the opening three quarters.

The defensive effort was the best in NCAA Division I Panther history for points allowed opponent field goal percent at 17.5, and the fewest field goals allowed at seven.

Milwaukee had a season-best 22 assists in the game and were one shy of tying that mark on Friday night at Oakland with 21.

SERIES HISTORY
MKE owns 36 all-time wins against Detroit Mercy against 28 losses, which includes a 34-22 record since the two joined the same conference.

The Panthers have won 11 consecutive matchups including six straight in Detroit. Milwaukee also holds a 16-14 record in Detroit overall.

WHATS ON TAP?
Milwaukee returns home on Friday evening, when the Panthers host Wright State for a 7 p.m. tip in the Klotsche Center.

LAST TIME OUT
Kendall Nead had a career night for the Panthers scoring a career-best 24 points, including 17 in the second half. Nead also went 11-of-19 from the field, a career-best in field goals. Her previous career highs were 19 points (twice this season), and eight field goals made earlier this season at home against Robert Morris.

With Nead's 24 points tonight following the 25-point performance by Emma Wittmershaus on Saturday vs. IUPUI, it's the first time since December of the 2019 that Milwaukee has had back-to-back 20-plus point performances.

As a team, the Panthers held a four-point lead after the opening quarter but went ice cold in the second stanza and were outscored 14-6 to trail 36-32 at the break. Milwaukee went into the fourth quarter down by a 57-50 margin, but a furious fourth-quarter comeback attempt fell just shy as the Golden Grizzlies held on for a 74-71 win.

A 13-4 run to open the fourth quarter helped the Panthers even the score at 63 with 4:23 left in the game. Oakland responded by taking a six-point lead on a three-pointer with 1:54 to go, but Nead answered with a layup and then a three-pointer of her own to pull the Panthers within one with 48 seconds left.

Nead had another look with 12 seconds to go but it wouldn't fall, before Oakland took a two-point lead on a free throw. With just seconds to go, Milwaukee had another chance, but an offensive foul was called. The Golden Grizzlies connected on one last free throw to take a three-point lead, but Milwaukee was unable to get off a final three-point look to send the game to overtime as time had expired.

Milwaukee shot better than 64 percent in three of the four quarters but were only able to muster up two made field goals on nine attempts in the second quarter. Defensively the Panthers yielded 24 makes from the field and allowed 16 offensive rebounds and 16 second-chance points to the Golden Grizzlies. Overall, Oakland was 13-of-32 from the second half for 40.1 percent from the field, the Golden Grizzlies also cashed in for nine total three-pointers with five coming in the second half.

Nead ended the game with her 24 points but also added eight rebounds to her ledger. Two other Panthers were in double figures as Kamy Peppler netted 11 points and had a team-high six assists, while Angie Cera had 10 points with three assists and a team-best two steals.

Megan Walstad played nearly the entirety of the game, credited with 39 minutes played, and had eight points and nine rebounds. Anna Lutz had eight points while Jada Donaldson had four points and four assists.

Grace Crowley had six points in the second half and added a pair of assists and three rebounds.

PASSING THE ROCK
For the second time this season this season, the Panthers had more than 20 assists in a game with 21 coming against Oakland on Friday night. It was the second time this season that MKE totaled better than 20, with a season-best 22 coming against Detroit Mercy on December 29.

The 21 assists on Friday against Oakland came on 31 made field goals, which is the first time Milwaukee registered 30 field goals since January 29, 2022, in the team's road win at Wright State. The last occurance that the Panthers had more than 30 made field goals came on January 18, 2019 at Oakland, when Milwaukee was 32-for-64.

Against Detroit Mercy in December, the Panthers had 22 assists on 25 made field goals, the highest assist percentage (88.0) since dishing out 16 assists on 18 field goals (88.8) in a win over Chicago State on March 3, 2016.

WALSTAD'S HELPING HAND
Playing the inside-out game, Megan Walstad had a career-high nine assists in the team's most recent contest against IUPUI. Her previous career-high was five on several occasions in her career, most recently in the team's win at home against Detroit Mercy on December 29.

The last time a player listed on Milwaukee's roster as a center or forward and had more than five assists in one game was Steph Kostowicz, who had a dozen in the team's March 15, 2018 win over Northern Iowa. Kostowicz accomplished the feat six times during her senior season in 2017-18, and seven times in her career.

JADA SETTLING IN
Jada Donaldson led the Panthers on the glass on Saturday, with a team-best seven rebounds and led all players with four offensive boards against IUPUI. Donaldson has been putting it together as she settles into her starting role for MKE and has had a season-high in rebounds (7, Jan. 28 vs. IUPUI), assists (5, Jan. 12 at Wright State), steals (3, Jan. 20 vs. Robert Morris), and field goals made (2, Jan. 20 vs. Robert Morris, Jan. 22 vs. Youngstown State) over the team's past seven games.

SECOND HALF STRUGGLES
The Milwaukee defense has been strong this year, but recently, the Panthers have been running out of steam in the second half.

Over the last nine games, Milwaukee has given up an average of 40.0 points in the second half. Opponents are shooting 48.6 percent (122-of-251) from the floor and 43.7 percent (42-for-96) from three-point range over the final 20 minutes

In comparison, the Panthers have allowed 38.3 percent (456-of-1191) from the field overall in games this season, and 32.2 percent (131-of-407) of three-pointers overall this year.

FOLLOWING THE LEADER
Six different members of the Panther roster have led the team in scoring this season throughout the team's 21 games thus far. Kendall Nead now leads the team having led the team in scoring on seven occasions, while Emma Wittmershaus (6) and Megan Walstad (5) are right on her heels, Angie Cera (3), Grace Crowley (1), and Anna Lutz (1) have all led at least once this season.

FINDING THE RANGE
Milwaukee has been finding its shooting range from three-point land following the holiday break.

The Panthers had shot under 31 percent in each of its first 10 games but have turned it on since playing Detroit Mercy on December 29, having connected on at least 31 percent in seven of their last 11 contests.

Over the last 10 games, Kamy Peppler is 18-for-43 (41.9 percent), while Emma Wittmershaus is also at 40.0 percent having connected on 6-of-15 from deep. Jessi Giles has also come on over the stretch connecting on 8-of-18 (44.4 percent) from long range.

OFFENSIVE BOARDS TURNING INTO POINTS
The Panthers have recorded double-digit offensive rebounds in six of their last nine contests and have made the most of their chances. In that span, Milwaukee has totaled 93 second-chance points, including 19 second-chance points in the team's win over Robert Morris on January 20, and 16 on the road at Green Bay on January 26.

COMING ALIVE IN LEAGUE PLAY
Kendall Nead has scored at least 12 points in eight of the team's last 11 conference games including a season-high 24 points in each of the team's games against Oakland on February 3.

In 13 Horizon League contests, Nead is averaging a team-high 14.2 points, which is currently sixth among all Horizon League scorers in conference competition this season. Nead is also fourth in league play in field goal percentage at 44.1 percent within the conference.

Away from her scoring prowess, Nead has an average of 5.1 rebounds in addition to 20 assists, nine steals and two blocks over 13 conference contests.

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 seven seasons, Milwaukee is 89-27 (.767) when hitting at least 40 percent from the field. Bump that field goal percentage to 43 percent and the Panthers are 69-14 (.831).

When shooting under 40 percent since 2016-17, Milwaukee is just 25-67 (.272). The Panthers have been held under 40 percent in 12 games this year, going 1-11 in those contests.

STRONG ON THE GLASS
The Panthers owned the rebounding battle at Wright State, on January 7, 39-19 to record their best margin of the season at plus-20. It marks the highest rebounding margin since Milwaukee was plus-22 on the glass in a 58-35 win over UIC on February 19, 2021.

DEFENSE LEADING THE WAY
The Panthers' defense continues to be a factor this season as Milwaukee ranks in the top half of the Horizon League in points allowed and field goal percentage defense.

Milwaukee is allowing 61.9 points per game through 13 league contests and holding the opposition to 38.8 percent shooting overall. In comparison, the Panthers have connected on 42.5 percent from the field over that span.

RECORD-SETTING WIN
Defense was the story in a win over Detroit Mercy on December 29, setting multiple program bests.

The Panthers held the Titans to 29 points, the lowest for an opponent in NCAA Division I history surpassing Valparaiso's 31 from February 25, 2012.

Detroit also converted just 17.5 percent of its field goals, the lowest field goal percentage for an opponent since MKE held Youngstown State to 19.4 percent on March 6, 2010.

The seven made field goals for Detroit were also an opponent program-low for the Panthers, four fewer than the previous mark.

ALL OF THE DOUBLE DIGITS
In the win over Detroit Mercy, Milwaukee had five players reach double figures. Grace Crowley led the way with 13 points while Kendall Nead (12), Anna Lutz (11), Kamy Peppler (10), and Emma Wittmershaus (10) all joined in double digits.

It marks the first time Milwaukee had at least five players with at least 10 points since February 8, 2020. That game, Jamie Reit's 13 points led the way while Bre Cera added 12, McKaela Schmelzer and Sydney Staver each had 11, and Lizzie Odegard finished with 10 in a 65-60 win over Green Bay.

Milwaukee is now 3-0 this year when at least four players reach double figures. The Panthers are 17-4 over the last five years when four or more players reach at least 10 points.

MISS BASKETBALL IN THE HOUSE
Freshman Kamy Peppler was crowned 2022 Miss Basketball for Wisconsin but it's not the first time Milwaukee has had a student-athlete with that title arrive on campus.

In fact, Megan Walstad earned that title in her home state of Minnesota after leading Eastview High School to a perfect 32-0 record as a senior.

Prior to that, just one other player in program history donned the title of Miss Basketball. Meredith Onson (2005-08) was a consensus Wisconsin Player of the year in 2002-03. Onson originally attended Boston University but transferred to Milwaukee for the 2004-05 season.

PRESEASON HONORS FOR WALSTAD
Megan Walstad was named to the Preseason All-Horizon League First Team following another impressive campaign in 2021-22. Walstad dominated down low, earning her second straight First Team All-League award last season. She led the team and was among the league's leaders in points per game (14.4), rebounds per game (9.1), field goal percentage (48.8), free throw percentage (88.9), and blocks per game (1.5). Walstad was also named to the All-Defensive Team for the second straight year.

Walstad joined a group of just three others in program history to earn All-League First Team honors on more than one occasion in the Panthers' Division I era and is just the second in MKE history to earn All-Defensive Team distinction multiple times.

Additionally, Walstad was one of 25 players to be named to the 2022 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year preseason Watch List.

MILESTONE WATCH
Megan Walstad's name is already all over the Milwaukee record books but she has the opportunity to etch her name in a few more times.

For her career, she has already cracked the program's top 10 in the following for NCAA Division I.

• Rebounds per game (4th, 7.5)
• Field goal percentage (4th, 49.6)
• Free throw percentage (5th, 84.6)
• Total rebounds (5th, 821)
• Total blocks (4th, 149)
• Double-doubles (t-5th, 21)
• Offensive rebounds (8th, 236)

CATCH ALL THE ACTION
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 $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

For road games, visit MKEPanthers.com for live coverage links.

BLACK & GOLD ON DEMAND
Panther fans can also re-live all of the action by listening to archived games on the Black & Gold Radio Network. All games are chronicled at mixlr.com/milwaukee-panthers/showreel.