MILWAUKEE – A shot with 0.1 seconds left in the game proved to be the two-point difference in a 54-52 loss for the Milwaukee women's basketball team against Detroit Mercy on Saturday afternoon at the Klotsche Center.
 
Milwaukee had trailed for most of the game and was able to tie the score at 52 in the final minute of play. After a defensive stop, the Panthers regained possession, but Detroit Mercy forced a turnover and converted a quick transition layup by Katie Burton, falling with 0.1 seconds left to come out on top.
 
The Panthers were led by Anna Lutz with 13 points, eight rebounds, and a pair of blocks. Kallie Peppler had her highest offensive output of the season with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
 
Milwaukee as a team shot just 36.6 percent from the field for the game but put together a 9-for-20 (45.0 percent) effort in the second half to erase a 30-23 halftime deficit. Lutz scored 10 points in the second half with Kamy Peppler scoring six and Jada Donaldson adding five.
 
"Our offense looked better in the third and fourth quarters once we spread out the offense and started executing better," stated Kyle Rechlicz after the game. "Some of the mistakes we made on the defensive end ultimately cost us … even though we held them to 54 points."
 
On the defensive side, Milwaukee held the Titans to just 20-of-58 (34.5 percent) from the floor on the game. In the second half the Titans shot a meager 28.1 percent but took advantage of six second-half offensive rebounds for six second-chance points.
 
The Titans took an early 2-1 lead and did not turn back in the opening half, leading by as many as 13 late in the second quarter spurred on by a 10-0 run in the period.
 
Trailing by seven at the break, the Panthers started the uphill climb and opened the half with a layup by Donaldson and three-pointer by Kamy. Milwaukee got the deficit down to four several times in the period, including a layup by Kamy to send the game to the fourth quarter with Detroit ahead, 40-36.
 
Grace Lomen scored the first three points of the fourth period, including a layup between two defenders to trim the deficit to one at 40-39. Later, Lutz had back-to-back possessions with three-point makes, with the second tying the contest at 47.
 
After a layup and a free throw by Detroit, Donaldson converted an old-fashioned three-point play to level the score at 50 with just two minutes left in regulation. Both sides exchanged layups with Lutz tying the game at 52.
 
Detroit Mercy missed a layup with under 20 seconds left that saw Jada Williams grab the defensive rebound. Milwaukee had a chance at its first lead since 1-0, but the turnover and mad dash down the court by Detroit Mercy with the less than one second layup gave the Titans the win.
 
Burton finished the game with nine off the bench for Detroit Mercy, while it was Aaliyah McQueen's steal and lead pass to assist on the game winner. Emaia O'Brien had a team-best 18 points for Detroit on 6-of-11 overall and 3-of-5 from three.
 
Kamy scored nine points and had six assists with three steals. Kacee Baumhower scored six, Donaldson five, and Jorey Buwalda added four points with six rebounds.
 
Milwaukee starts a three-game road trip on Thursday, when the Panthers visit Northern Kentucky with game time set for 5:00 p.m. (CT).