MILWAUKEE – After a one-point loss at home on Thursday evening, the Milwaukee basketball team heads back on the road to former Horizon League foe Valparaiso. The Panthers and Beacons will tip at 4:00 p.m. (CT) at the Athletics-Recreation Center.

The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with live stats of the game also available. Links to the broadcast and live stats can be found on MKEPanthers.com. 
 
THE MATCHUP & GAME LINKS
Sunday, Nov. 16 | Milwaukee at Valparaiso | Athletics-Recreation Center | Valparaiso, Ind. | 4:00 p.m. (CT) | ESPN+ / Live Stats | Follow Along (on X)
 
QUICK NOTES
» Milwaukee heads back on the road with a visit to former Horizon League foe Valparaiso on Sunday afternoon, the clash with the Beacons will begin at 4:00 p.m. (CT) at the Athletics-Recreation Center in Indiana.
» The Panthers enter the weekend trip off a loss at home on Thursday evening, falling to the Western Michigan Broncos on a last-second shot, 65-64.
» Jorey Buwalda led Milwaukee in the loss, leading the team with 12 points and eight rebounds, while Jada Williams scored 11 points and Grace Lomen added 10.
» Valparaiso enters the matchup 0-3 on the young season, coming off a loss to nationally ranked Iowa State in Ames, Iowa on Wednesday evening, 97-50.
» The Beacons were led by Milana Nenadic with 20 points on 8-of-19 shooting. Despite the effort by Nenadic. She along with Autumn Dibb were tied for the team lead with six rebounds apiece.
» Valpo shot just 29.0 percent from the field, their second consecutive game of shooting below 30 percent. The Beacons made just 28.6 percent in their prior game at Detroit Mercy.
» Sunday will be the 30th Division I meeting between Milwaukee and Valparaiso, with 22 of those coming as conference matchups in the Horizon. The Panthers are just 8-5 in meetings in Indiana, while MKE boasts a 12-4 mark in home games.
» Last season, the teams met at the Klotsche Center in Milwaukee, with the Panthers winning 90-79. Among returners, Jorey Buwalda led the Black & Gold with 17 points and was a rebound shy of a double-double. Among the returners for the Beacons Raeven Raye-Redmond was 6-for-9 from the floor for 15 points.

QUICK LOOK AT VALPARAISO
The Missouri Valley Conference does not conduct a full preseason poll, instead ranking just the top-four projected teams as preseason favorites. The Beacons did, however, have two players on the league's 2025-26 MVC Women's Basketball Players to Watch list as Fiona Connolly and Maci Rhoades were on the list of 36 players across the league.

Last year, Valparaiso finished league play with a 9-11 record, good enough for eighth in the 12-team league, while finishing with a 13-19 overall record.

The department hired Courtney Boyd to replace Mary Evans, with Boyd coming to Valpo from Division II Quincy University in Quincy, Illinois, following her initial head coaching stint at Clarke in Dubuque, Iowa at the NAIA level.

VALPARAISO – PLAYERS TO WATCH
Fiona Connolly – 3 Games / 3 Starts in 2025-26, 26.7 Minutes/Game, 13.0 Points/Game, 5.3 Rebounds/Game, Three Assists.
Milana Nenadic – 3 Games / 1 Start in 2025-26, 15.7 Minutes/Game, 10.0 Points/Game, 5.3 Rebounds/Game, Two Assists, Three Steals, One Block.
Mor Shabtai – 3 Games / 3 Starts in 2025-26, 27.7 Minutes/Game, 7.3 Points/Game, 1.3 Rebounds/Game, Seven Assists, Three Steals.
Allia von Schlegell – 3 Games / 0 Starts in 2025-26, 22.7 Minutes/Game, 6.0 Points/Game, 1.3 Rebounds/Game, Two Assists, One Steal.

LAST MEETING
In last year's meeting between Milwaukee and Valparaiso, the Panthers earned their sixth-straight win in the series by a 90-79 score. Milwaukee ended the game connecting on 47.2 percent from the field while Valpo knocked down 46.7 percent of its attempts. The Panthers controlled the glass in the win with 39 rebounds to 28 by the Beacons.

Kacee Baumhower led the way with 28 points for Milwaukee on 8-of-15 shooting including five three-point makes, while Anna Lutz had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Jorey Buwalda is the top returner from last season's dual, registering 17 points off the bench for the Panthers.

For Valparaiso, Layla Gold led the Beacons with 23 points in 38 minutes, while the team also got 16 points from Leah Earnest and 13 from Nevaeh Jackson. Raeven Raye-Redmond is the team's top returner from last season's game, recording 15 points and a team-best five assists in the losing effort.

UP NEXT
Milwaukee returns home once again as the Panthers will welcome the Marquette Golden Eagles to the Klotsche Center for a 6:00 p.m. tipoff. This will be Marquette's first visit to "The K' since the 2021-22 season.

ON THIS DATE
Historically, one of the busiest days in November for Milwaukee, the Panthers have played nine times on Nov. 16 and have a 5-4 record on this date, including losses in their last two. MKE lost to Louisiana Monroe in 2023 at the McNeese Multi-Team Event and fell to UIC a year prior in a 44-43 loss. The last Panther win on Nov. 16 came at home against Columbia in 2018, a 78-65 Panther victory.

ONE-POINT GAMES
With its loss to Western Michigan on Thursday evening, Milwaukee fell to 21-19 all-time in one-point games, including a 12-9 record in one-point games at home. The last time Milwaukee won a one-point game came on Nov. 26, 2022, against Boise State in overtime, 55-54, while the last time the Panthers won a one-point game in regulation as well as their last home one-point win was on Jan. 13, 2018, against Youngstown State, 62-61.

FIRST YEAR HEAD COACHES
This game is the third consecutive contest that Milwaukee is taking on a team with a first-year head coach at their respective institution. Northern Illinois is coached by Jacey Brooks, Wisconsin is coached by Robin Pingeton, and Western Michigan is coached by Kate Achter.

On Sunday, Milwaukee will make it four first-year coaches in a row, when they take on new Valparaiso head coach Courtney Boyd. There are also two new head coaches in the Horizon League with Kiefer Haffey replacing Achter at Detroit Mercy, and Keisha Newell taking over at Oakland.

WHO'S LEADING TODAY?
For the first time since the 2022-23 season, Milwaukee was led by three different scorers to start the season through its first three games. Jorey Buwalda had 18 vs. Loyola Chicago, Kendall Barnes had 17 at Northern Illinois, and Jada Williams had eight against Wisconsin.

In 2022-23, Milwaukee were led by Angie Cera vs. Wisconsin, Megan Walstad vs. Loyola Chicago, and Emma Wittmershaus at Marquette. The last time the Panthers had a different leading scorer through their first four games was in 2020-21, Miquela Santoro vs. Ball State, Brandi Bisping at Bradley, McKaela Schmelzer at Marquette, and Sydney Staver at Bowling Green.

FRESHMAN SUCCESS AT NORTHERN ILLINOIS
In Milwaukee's win over Northern Illinois, the Panthers were led by Kendall Barnes with 17 points, and Madison Fitzgibbon with 15 points.

The last time that Milwaukee had two freshmen score 15 points in a single game came back on Jan. 2, 2011, against Detroit Mercy, when Angela Rodriguez score 15 and Courtney Lindfors scored 15. Lindfors only played 17 minutes and fouled out of the contest against the Titans.

The last time Milwaukee had two freshmen score double digits in a game was back on Dec. 29, 2022, also against Detroit Mercy. Anna Lutz scored 11 and Kamy Peppler dropped in 10.

EFFICIENT EFFORT AGAINST THE HUSKIES
Milwaukee finished the Nov. 7 game against Northern Illinois making 48.9 percent from the field (22-45) and 52.9 percent from range (9-17).

From the field it was the Panthers' best effort since they played then-IUPUI on Feb. 8, 2024, when the team knocked down 51.5 percent overall (24-47), and 51.1 percent from three (8-14).

DOUBLE-DOUBLE FOR BUWALDA
In her first game of the 2025-26 season, Jorey Buwalda registered her first double-double of the year with 18 points and 14 rebounds. Her 14 rebounds tied her career high, while her 34 minutes played and nine field goals made against the Ramblers were both career-best marks.

The double-double is the third career for Buwalda, who had two her freshman season against Mississippi Valley Stats on Nov. 18, 2023 (20 Points, 12 Rebounds), and at Northern Kentucky on Jan. 7, 2024 (18 Points, 12 Rebounds).

As a team, Milwaukee had just two Points-Rebounds double-doubles throughout the 2024-25 season, both by Anna Lutz, on Nov. 4 at St. Thomas and on Nov. 14 versus Valparaiso. The team also had three Points-Assists Double-Doubles a season ago, all by Kamy Peppler.

TRUE FRESHMAN STARTER IN SEASON OPENER
Against Loyola Chicago, Madison Fitzgibbon became just the 18th true freshman starter to be a part of the opening five since the program joined the Division I level in 1990-91. She is the first to do so since the 2022-23 season.

THAT'S AN ODD NUMBER
It's actually an even number, but Rita Gomes, who wears No. 16, became the first player in Milwaukee program history to wear a number that is not 0-1-2-3-4-5 in a game ever. The NCAA lifted the rule on numbers 6-7-8-9 prior to the 2023-24 season.

THE NON-CON SLATE
Milwaukee plays 11 non-conference matchups this season in preparation for the long haul of Horizon League play. The Panthers will take on four former conference opponents with Loyola Chicago at home (Nov. 3), at Northern Illinois (Nov. 7), at Valparaiso (Nov. 16), and at Butler (Nov. 23).

The team will also take on in-state foes with Wisconsin in Madison on Nov. 10, and Marquette at home on Nov. 19. MKE will take on Western Michigan for the first time since the 2012-13 season, but a familiar face will be at the helm with Kate Achter taking over after having been the head coach at Detroit Mercy for the past three seasons.

There will also be four first-time opponents in regular season play this year with Milwaukee taking on host Pacific as well as UC Davis on Nov. 28-29 at the Tiger Turkey Tip-Off in Stockton, Calif. While the team will also host Division III opponents Ripon (Dec. 14) and Wisconsin Lutheran (Dec. 20) to wrap-up non-conference play

CLOSING IN ON 500
Milwaukee currently has with 496 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 190 to the all-time total.

WITHIN THE HORIZON
Below are Milwaukee's top performers in each statistical category, as provided by the Horizon League…
Scoring: Jorey Buwalda (20th, 10.8 Points/Game)
Rebounding: Jorey Buwalda (2nd, 9.8 Rebounds/Game)
3-Point Field Goal per Game: Madison Fitzgibbon (14th, 1.8 per Game)
Free Throw Percentage: Jorey Buwalda (6th, .778 Pct.)
Blocks: Jorey Buwalda (4th, 1.3 Blocks/Game)
Steals: Sophia Rampulla (21st, 1.5 Steals/Game)

PANTHERS FOR THREE
In January 2025, 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 has the third longest active streak in Division I.

All-Time Streaks
1. Iowa State – 945 (1995-2025)
2. Chattanooga – 810 (1999-Present) *
3. South Alabama – 761 (2000-Present) *
4. Milwaukee – 705 (2002-Present) *
5. Dayton – 697 (2001-2024)
* - Active Streak (through Nov. 15, 2025)

TEN FOR THREE
After just three games with at least 10-three point makes in 2023-24, the Panthers rebounded by doing so on eight occasions in 2024-25, including the postseason game against Detroit Mercy.

Since taking over the program, Kyle Rechlicz has seen her team record at least 10 three-point baskets in a game on 71 occasions.

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 117-45 (.722) when hitting at least 40 percent from the field. Bump that field goal percentage to 43 percent and the Panthers are 100-25 (.800). When shooting under 40 percent, Milwaukee is 26-96 (.213).

KEEPING THE FOULS DOWN
Since the 2022-23 season, when Milwaukee has committed 11 fouls or fewer, the Panthers are 12-2. On the contrary, the Panthers are 10-31 when they have committed 18 or more fouls in a contest.

OFFENSIVE BOARDS TURNING INTO POINTS
Dating back to the 2022-23 season, the Panthers have pulled down double-digits in offensive rebounds in 37 of their 82 games and scored 754 second-chance points.

IN THE PAINT
Since the start of the 2023-24 season when Milwaukee scored more than 25 points in the paint the Panthers have a 20-17 record, while the team was 5-27 when scoring fewer than 25 points in the paint.

BALANCING THE FIRST AND SECOND HALVES
Last season Milwaukee was consistent in its shooting by making 39.6 percent (354-for-896) of its shots in the first half and 39.3 percent (338-for-862) in the second half. In overtime, the Panthers are 7-for-30 (23.3 percent).

This year the Panthers are 43.0 percent (43-for-100) in the first half, and 37.1 percent (33-from-89) in the second half.

CLOSE GAMES
Last season, Milwaukee finished the season with a 3-14 record in games decided by nine points or fewer and will look to finish games off at a better clip in 2025-26. The Panthers' three wins decided by nine or fewer points came in both home and road wins over IU Indy, as well as the home win over Youngstown State.

In 2025-26, the Panthers are 0-2 in games decided by single digits.

IN OVERTIME
Last season, Milwaukee set a program record with appearances in four overtime games and now has a record of 21-27 in games to go beyond 40 minutes since joining Division I prior to the 1990-91 season. The Panthers have gone to overtime on three occasions in season openers, winning over Parkside in 2019-20, before falling to Ball State in 2021-22, and St. Thomas in 2024-25.