MILWAUKEE – After playing four of its last five games at home inside the Klotsche Center, the Milwaukee women's basketball team begins a three-game road trip on Thursday evening at Truist Arena for a 5:00 p.m (CT) start against the Northern Kentucky Norse.
 
Milwaukee's audio stream will also be available on the Black & Gold Network, as Matt Menzl returns for his ninth season with the program. Fans can also find the audio stream on the 'Varsity Network' App (available in the App Store & Google Play). All links, including live stats and the link to video on ESPN+, provided by Northern Kentucky, can be found on MKEPanthers.com.
 
THE MATCHUP
Thursday, Jan. 23 – Milwaukee at Northern Kentucky | Truist Arena | Highland Heights, Ky. | 5:00 pm (CT)
 
QUICK LINKS
Listen on Black & Gold Network: mkepanthers.com/coverage
Listen on Varsity Network: App Store & Google Play
Live Stats: mkepanthers.com/coverage
Watch on ESPN+: mkepanthers.com/coverage
Tickets: Northern Kentucky Ticket Page
Follow Along (On X): @MKE_WBB
 
QUICK NOTES
» Milwaukee heads back on the road for its next three beginning with Northern Kentucky at Truist Arena in Highland Heights on Thursday at 5:00 p.m. (CT).
» The Panthers dropped a heartbreaker to the Detroit Mercy Titans on Saturday, with Detroit connecting on a last-second layup with 0.1 seconds left. Milwaukee was unable to get a final tip attempt at the ball, and the Titans picked up the 54-52 victory.
» The Panthers were led by Anna Lutz with a team-best 13 points and eight rebounds, while Kallie Peppler had a career-best 12 points off the bench on 5-of-7 attempts from the field.
» Northern Kentucky lost both of its games this past week, falling on the road to Youngstown State by a 75-66 score and then to league-leading Purdue Fort Wayne on the road by a 76-52 score on Saturday.
» In the NKU loss to PFW, the Norse were led by Mya Meredith with 17 points, while Halle Idowu scored 10 points and had a team-best eight rebounds and seven assists.
» This will be the second meeting of the season between the Panthers and Norse, with NKU winning in Milwaukee by a 68-65 score. Three players scored in double figures for the Norse including 20 from Meredith, 16 from Idowu, and 11 points including three three-point makes from Jaci Jones.
» For the Panthers in the matchup at home against Northern Kentucky, Anna Lutz and Kamy Peppler matched for the team lead with 13 points each. MKE struggled from three with a 4-for-24 effort from beyond the arc.
» In all-time meetings, Milwaukee has dropped the last two against the Norse and are 7-13 all-time against NKU dating back to their first meetings during the 2015-16 seasons. The Panthers are 3-6 in games played at Truist Arena, but won last season 75-67.

LOOKING AT NORTHERN KENTUCKY
Northern Kentucky's win over Milwaukee on Jan. 4 kickstarted a three-game winning streak for the Norse, who have since dropped its most recent two games to Youngstown State on Jan. 15, and Purdue Fort Wayne on Jan. 18. NKU has a 3-5 home record this season, most recently a win over IU Indy on Jan. 11.

Jeff Hans' squad has been towards the top of the Horizon League when it comes to scoring, averaging 64.8 points per game in nine league games this season. Defensively, however the Norse are towards the bottom and are ninth in the league by allowing 69.3 points per game.

NKU has loved to shoot from distance and have the second highest total through nine league games with 207 attempts, second most, while its 31.9 percent from three is fifth-best in the Horizon.

Kalissa Lacy loves to shoot the three off the bench with 33 attempts while connecting on an impressive 39.4 percent from three in league action. Jaci Jones has hit on nearly half of her three-point attempts in league games at 12-of-25 (48.0 percent). Meanwhile from the field, Abby Wolterman is shooting 50 percent at 22-for-44, and Halle Idowu has made a team-best 36 makes and has connected on 49.3 percent overall.

Only Jones and Mya Meredith average more than 30 minutes per game, as the team competes with a fairly deep bench. Nine players through the nine Horizon League games are averaging at least 13 minutes per game.

UP NEXT
Milwaukee continues its three-game road trip on Saturday, when the team takes on the Wright State Raiders at the Nutter Center beginning at 3:00 p.m. (CT). The Panthers visit IU Indy on Jan. 29 at 5:30 p.m. (CT).

ALL-TIME IN ASSISTS
Kamy Peppler has a total of 362 assists, currently placing her fifth on the all-time list in Panther history. She is currently 68 behind fourth place, occupied by Angela Rodriguez with 430. The all-time mark in Panther history is held by Pam Bartnik, who finished her career with 469 assists from 1990-94.

With her seven assists on Jan. 16 vs. Oakland, Peppler crossed over the 100-assist plateau for the season, accomplishing the feat in each of her three seasons at Milwaukee. Should Peppler hold onto her team lead, she will become the first Panther since Jen Greger to lead the team for three consecutive seasons with 100+ assists, Greger had 129 in 1994-95, 109 in 1995-96, and 123 in 1996-97.

JOINING THE 100 STEAL CLUB
With four steals to tie her career high on Jan. 16 vs. Oakland, Kamy Peppler reached the 100-steal mark for her career. To break into the top-10, Peppler will need another 34 steals this season, as the 10th place occupant is Maria Viall with 137 career steals. The all-time leader is Pam Bartnik with 268 steals in a Panther career.

TOPS IN THE HORIZON
Three Panthers are leading the way in the Horizon League in several statistical categories entering play this weekend. Kamy Peppler leads the HL in both assists (109) and assists per game (5.5), while Anna Lutz is third in the league lead in both blocks (23) and blocks per game (1.2).

Kacee Baumhower is among the league leaders in field goal attempts with 227, field goals made (85), free throws made (57), free throws attempted (71), and points scored (264).

DOUBLE-DIGIT GETTERS
This season, Milwaukee has had 43 instances of players scoring double digits in a game including Anna Lutz (13) and Kacee Baumhower (12) leading the team. Kamy Peppler has accomplished double digits in points eight times in 2024-25.

The Panthers have also had double-digit scoring efforts from Jada Donaldson and Jorey Buwalda three times, while Payton Rechlicz has done so twice, and both Kallie Peppler and Izzy Pugh reaching double digits once this season.

CAREER DAY FOR LUTZ VS. OAKLAND
On Jan. 16 vs. Oakland, Anna Lutz had a career afternoon as she finished the game with 30 points on 13 field goal makes. Her 30-point performance were the 40th occurrence in Milwaukee basketball history, and first since former teammate Kendall Nead had 38 points against McNeese State on Nov. 17, 2023. Her 13 field goal makes is also tied for sixth in program history in a single game.

In five career games against Oakland, Lutz has shot 33-of-44 (75.0 percent) from the field, 7-of-12 (58.3 percent) from three, and has 73 points and 23 rebounds when facing the Golden Grizzlies.

DONALDSON'S ATR
Jada Donaldson with a 2.50 assist/turnover ratio in 2023-24 finished 17th in Division I in assist/turnover ratio. This season, she has a has a 1.10 assist/turnover ratio and has a career mark of 1.84 assists to turnovers, with 228 assists and 124 turnovers in 123 career games.

Milwaukee is currently fifth in the Horizon League as a team with a 0.82 assist/turnover ratio in 2024-25.

RECENT STRETCH FOR 24
Since Nov. 28, Jada Donaldson had been shooting at a high efficiency, scoring 35-of-72 from the field (48.6 percent) and 17-of-38 from three (44.7 percent).

Overall, this season, Donaldson has made 50-of-114 from the field (43.9 percent) and 24-of-57 from three (42.1 percent).

PEPPLER'S DOUBLE DOUBLES
Against Carroll, American, and Wright State, Kamy Peppler recorded the first three double-doubles of her career. While double-doubles are common among points and rebounds, Peppler's came with points and assists; 11 points/10 assists vs. Carroll, 14 points/10 assists vs. American, 11 points/11 assists vs. Wright State.

It was the first time that a Panther had a points-assists double-double since Jaleesa Armstrong had 23 points and 10 assists at Detroit Mercy on Jan. 7, 2015. With her 11-assist effort against Wright State on Jan. 2, she becomes just the second different player to have a points/assists double-double with more than 10 assists, Pam Bartnik had a 14-point/13-assist double-double in the 1992-93 season, and a 12-point/14-assist double-double on in 1993-94.

Peppler is now tied for second in single-season points/assists double-doubles with Angela Rodriguez, who had three during the 2013-14 season. The record is currently four held by Bartnik during the 1993-94 campaign.

PUTTING UP THE POINTS
Kacee Baumhower has been putting up large point totals for the Panthers with 20+ point performances in five contests this season.

The last player to have at least five 20+ point scoring performances in a season was Kendall Nead in 2023-24, finishing the season with six. Kamy Peppler also had five 20+ point games, while Anna Lutz had four for the Panthers a year ago.

The last time a Panther had at least seven games of 20+ points in a game came back in 2016-17, when Milwaukee had both Jenny Lindner (eight times), and Steph Kostowicz (seven times) both reached 20+ points in a game seven-plus times that season.

PANTHERS FOR THREE
In early January, Iowa State had its NCAA Division I record-setting streak of 945 consecutive games with a three-point basket stopped by Texas Tech.

With the Cyclones failing to convert, Milwaukee now takes over the third longest active streak in which it has made at least one three-point basket at 689 games. Chattanooga leads the way with 793 followed by South Alabama at 745, through games played on Jan. 18.

BALANCING THE FIRST AND SECOND HALVES
Overall, this season Milwaukee has been consistent in its shooting by making 39.7 percent (224-for-564) of its shots in the first half and 40.3 percent (211-for-523) in the second half. In overtime, the Panthers are 7-for-30 (23.3 percent).

DROUGHT FROM DISTANCE
After starting the season shooting 37.0 (30-for-81) percent from three over the first four games, the Panthers have struggled from distance the last 16 games connecting on just 28.4 percent (101-for-355).

The Panthers have had three halves this season with seven three-point makes including the second half against Robert Morris (Dec. 7), first half against Cleveland State (Dec. 29), and first half against Wright State (Jan. 2).

Milwaukee has been kept off the scoresheet from distance in two halves this season, the second half against Air Force (Nov. 28), and the second half against Youngstown State (Dec. 4).

IN OVERTIME
With the team's four overtime losses this season, Milwaukee is now 21-27 in all-time overtime games since joining the Division I level prior to the 1990-91 season. The Panthers have gone to overtime on three occasions in season openers, winning 84-77 over Parkside in 2019-20, and falling to Ball State by an 84-75 score to begin the 2021-22 campaign.

This season is the 13th time in program history that the Panthers have had multiple overtime games in one season, most recently during the 2020-21 season. With four games going beyond the allotted 40 minutes, the 2024-25 season has seen the most overtime games in one season in program history. The previous record was three set on six occasions (2008-09, 2007-08, 2006-07, 2005-06, 1999-2000, and 1996-97).

TEN FOR THREE
After accomplishing the deed of 10 three-point makes in a game just three times in 2023-24, the Panthers have already done so five times in 2024-25. Milwaukee knocked down 10 three against Carroll on Nov. 6, 11 in the Nov. 14 win over Valparaiso, another 10 against Northern Illinois on Nov. 24, 11 at Cleveland State on Dec. 29, and a season-best 13 against Wright State on Jan. 2. The team has reached double-digit threes 68 times since Kyle Rechlicz has taken over as head coach.

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. Since 2016-17, Milwaukee is 112-42 (.727) when hitting at least 40 percent from the field. Bump that field goal percentage to 43 percent and the Panthers are 96-22 (.813).

When shooting under 40 percent, Milwaukee is 26-88 (.228).

KEEPING THE FOULS DOWN
Since the 2022-23 season, when Milwaukee has committed 11 fouls or fewer, the Panthers are 11-2. On the contrary, the Panthers are 8-26 when they have committed 18 or more fouls in a contest.

FINDING WINS IN THE PAINT
In 2023-24, when Milwaukee scored more than 25 points in the paint the Panthers had a 12-7 record, while the team was 4-11 when scoring fewer than 25 points in the paint.

This year, the Panthers are 3-6 thus far on the season when scoring 25 or more points in the paint, narrowly reaching that plateau with 26 in the team's Nov. 14 win over Valparaiso. Milwaukee is 1-9 when scoring fewer than 25 points in the paint, with a season-low 11 against Green Bay on Dec. 11. The Panthers picked up the win over Wright State on Jan. 2 while scoring 24 points in the paint.

OFFENSIVE BOARDS TURNING INTO POINTS
Dating back to the 2022-23 season, the Panthers have pulled down double-digits in offensive rebounds in 32 of their 67 games and scored 625 second-chance points. Last season, the Panthers had a season-best 20 offensive rebounds against Viterbo and eclipsed that mark with 21 in the team's Nov. 4 matchup to open the 2024-25 season at St. Thomas.

BUWALDA BOARDS LED TO WINS
The Panthers finished the 2023-24 season with an 8-2 record in games when Jorey Buwalda was Milwaukee's leader in rebounding. She recorded double-digits in rebounds in four games this past season with the Panthers scoring wins in all four of those matchups.

This year Milwaukee is 2-3 in games that Buwalda leads the team in rebounds, falling to Wisconsin, Northern Kentucky, and Purdue Fort Wayne, while defeating both American and Wright State.

HIGH SHOOTING PERCENTAGE, WRONG RESULT
Milwaukee shot 45.8 percent (27-of-59) from the field in the Jan. 4 loss to Northern Kentucky, the team's highest shooting percentage in a loss this season. It was the team's highest shooting percentage in a loss since last season, when the Panthers also shot 45.8 percent (22-of-48) at home against Oakland on Feb. 24, 2024.

LOW, LOW, LOW
After holding Central Michigan to just 26.2 percent from the field, Milwaukee's defense topped that performance on Jan. 2 against Wright State as the Raiders finished the game shooting 26.0 percent (19-for-73). The mark was the lowest since the Panthers' historic performance against Detroit Mercy on Dec. 29, 2022, where the Titans finished with a .175 shooting percentage (7-for-40).

Wright State also shot 4-of-28 from three, which was also a season-best by the Panther defense as WSU finished at 14.4 percent. Last season, Milwaukee held Robert Morris (Jan. 11) and Cleveland State (Feb. 17) to identical 2-for-19 performances (10.5 percent).

FREQUENT FLIER MILES
Since Milwaukee played three consecutive games at home from Nov. 6 through Nov. 14, the Panthers have played nine of its next 11 games away from home. In total the team will travel 9,123 miles beginning with the team's trip to Madison to take on Wisconsin on Nov. 17 and wrapping up with the team's trip to the Wolstein Center in Cleveland against Cleveland State on Dec. 29.

By comparison, the Panthers will travel an estimated approximately 2,978 miles the rest of the season, which includes trips to Purdue Fort Wayne, Northern Kentucky, Wright State, IU Indy, Detroit Mercy, Oakland, and Green Bay.

100s FOR THREE
Earlier this season, Kamy Peppler recorded the 100th three-pointer of her career with her second three-point make of three against Carroll on Nov. 6. Kacee Baumhower also scored her 100th career three-point make against Kansas State on Nov. 20.

FREE THROW FRENZY
Against Valparaiso on Nov. 14, the Panthers took 37 trips to the free throw line and converted 29.

It was the first time that Milwaukee made 29 free throws in a game since Dec. 30, 2006, when they made 29 against UIC at the Klotsche Center. It was the first time the Panthers took 37 free throw attempts in a game since the team also had 37 against Columbia at home on Nov. 16, 2018.

NINETY IN NON-OVERTIME
On Nov. 14 against Valparaiso, Milwaukee put 90 points on the scoreboard, which was the first time that the team had scored 90 points against a Division I opponent since last season's overtime win against Wright State on Jan. 26 (93-87).

The last time the Panthers scored 90 points in a regulation game against a Division I opponent was on Feb. 23, 2018, in a 90-45 win at home against Detroit Mercy.

50 BOARDS
After coming within five rebounds on three occasions in 2023-24, including a season-best 49 against Wright State on Jan. 26, the team posted 50 rebounds in the 2024-25 season opener against St. Thomas. It was the first time Milwaukee had 50 rebounds in a game since the team had 56 in a neutral site matchup against Boise State on Nov. 27, 2022.

CLOSING IN ON 500
Milwaukee currently has with 491 wins at the Division I level, dating back to its inaugural DI season in 1990-91. MA Kelling led the team with 57 wins over the first five year, while Jenny Sell won four games in 1995-96. Sandy Botham had 245 wins, while current head coach Kyle Rechlicz has added 185 to the all-time total.

YEAR 13 FOR RECHLICZ
Milwaukee is led by Kyle Rechlicz, who enters year 13 as the head coach of the Panthers and is the Horizon League's most veteran coach with the retirement of Green Bay's Kevin Borseth earlier this summer. Cleveland State's Chris Kielsmeier is second in the league beginning his tenure in 2018-19 (7th season in 2024-25).

GREEN GETS THE CALL
Milwaukee Athletics announced its Bud K. Haidet Hall of Fame Class for 2024. The list included Milwaukee basketball's Ashley Green, who played for the Panthers from 2011-15.

She finished her career with 1,653 points, which is currently fifth on the all-time scoring list. She is also one of just five Panthers in program history to finish their career with 1,000+ points and 500+ rebounds, finishing with 781 in her 119 career games. Green finished her career with 17 double-doubles, the eighth most in program history.

250 GAMES FOR MENZL
Following his broadcast of the Nov. 14 matchup against Valparaiso, Matt Menzl has now broadcasted 250 Milwaukee Panther women's basketball games. He began his play-by-play duties with the team in 2016-17.

CHECK THAT DIAL
This season, Milwaukee has made the move to one of the leading audio providers in all of college sports with their audio-only streams now available online directly through the team's home website MKEPanthers.com, as well as on The Varsity Network. Fans can download 'Varsity Network' in the App Store on iOS devices and Google Play and search "Milwaukee" to find the live audio stream of Panther games.