MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee basketball team trailed by just two scores at halftime, but a big second half by Green Bay propelled the Phoenix to an 86-53 win on Wednesday night at the Klotsche Center.
 
Maddy Schreiber had a balanced night for the Phoenix with a team-best 20 points including 10 in each half. Green Bay connected on 18 second-half makes from the field including six from distance, while Bailey Butler had eight of her game-high 12 assists in the second half.
 
Leading just 38-32 at the break, Green Bay came out of the locker room and started the second half on a 17-3 run to jump ahead by a 20-point advantage and did not turn back.
 
"We came out of the locker room so flat after a good halftime discussion," commented head coach Kyle Rechlicz after the game. "Green Bay came out and hit a couple of early shots, we didn't get back on defense, and they scored a couple of times off of transition … when a team goes on a run against us, we just have a really hard time responding."
 
Milwaukee was led by Kacee Baumhower, who had 12 of her 14 points in the opening half to keep the Panthers close until halftime. Anna Lutz had eight points and four rebounds, while Izzy Pugh pulled down a team-best seven rebounds and had four blocks on the night.
 
MKE won the rebounding battle by one at 33-32, which included 12 offensive rebounds. GB held the advantage in assists at 25-10, and had 15 steals on 22 Panther turnovers, limiting its own turnovers to seven.
 
The Panthers used the long-range game to fight their way back after an early 9-3 deficit. Baumhower tied the game at nine with a three-point make, then sank another later in the first period to give the Panthers a 14-11 advantage.

The score was tied at 15 late in the first, but a last-possession three-pointer by Green Bay put the Phoenix ahead by one score after the opening 10 minutes.
 
Green Bay led by as many as six points early in the second quarter before a three-point make by Kamy Peppler and a layup by Lutz trimmed the deficit to one at 25-24. The Phoenix were unable to extend their lead past six and took a 38-32 lead into the halftime break.
 
In the third, Green Bay caught fire from the field and made 12-of-17, including five three-point makes to outscore Milwaukee 31-11 and take a 26-point advantage into the fourth. GB led by as many as 35 on two occasions in the fourth and won by a 33-point margin at 86-53.
 
Peppler finished the game with six points, Jada Donaldson had seven points and three rebounds. Jorey Buwalda corralled five rebounds for the Panthers.
 
Milwaukee heads back on the road this weekend for a quick visit to nearby Marquette on Sunday. The game will take place at 2:00 p.m. at the Al McGuire Center.