VALPARAISO, Ind. – Grace Lomen scored 10 of her team-best 23 points in overtime as the Milwaukee Panthers upended Valparaiso, 72-67, on Sunday afternoon at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
 
Lomen's performance was her best as a Panther, making five from the field including a pair of threes, while also converting 11-of-14 at the line. Jorey Buwalda also reached double figures with 15 points and recorded her second double-double of the season, pulling down a career-best 17 rebounds.
 
Milwaukee took full advantage of its post touches, scoring a season-high 36 points in the paint while finishing the game shooting 39.7 percent from the field and 72.7 percent from the line.
 
Valparaiso made things difficult for Milwaukee, placing four players in double figures. Allia von Schlegell led the Beacons with 15 points, including three makes from behind the arc. Kamryn Winch added 12 points, Mor Shabtai added 11, and Milana Nenadic chipped in with 10.
 
"Give a lot of credit to Valpo," Rechlicz said postgame. "They really pushed pace with their really good guards, and we knew it was going to test us tonight. We had to put in a zone defense because I was worried about playing them in man."
 
Milwaukee scored the first eight points of the game before Valpo took its first lead of the game at 16-14 early in the second quarter. The first half featured five lead changes and three ties before the Beacons carried a 31-29 advantage into halftime.
 
After the break, Milwaukee held much of the momentum in the third quarter, outscoring the Beacons 19-14 in the period. Buwalda sparked the Panthers with seven points, including a three-point play in the closing seconds to give Milwaukee a 48-45 lead heading into the fourth.
 
Valparaiso regained a 53-52 lead with 4:20 left in regulation, but Payton Rechlicz answered with a layup to swing the lead back to Milwaukee. Buwalda later connected on a jumper in the final minute to push the Panthers ahead by three, but the Beacons scored the next four points to take a 60-59 lead.
 
With time winding down, Lomen drove down the right side of the lane, put up an layup, and was fouled. She made the first to tie the score at 60 but missed the second, sending the game to overtime.
 
"I'm really proud of our team's resilience," Rechlicz noted. "We have a lot of young players on our team twho are fighting, whether it be in practice or in games, and it was nice for them to see one of these close games go our way."
 
Lomen opened the scoring in overtime with a three-pointer at the 2:36 mark, but Valpo immediately answered with a three of its own. Valerie Cassidy-De Falco then drove for a layup to give the Panthers the lead for good. Down the stretch of the game, Lomen made 7-of-8 at the line, holding off repeated Valparaiso comeback attempts.
 
"It came down to our senior at the end of the game, putting the ball in her hands and letting her go to work," said Rechlicz of Lomen's late-game heroics. "She's just such a dynamic and confident player, and we're ready for her to have a big senior season."
 
Cassidy-De Falco and Rechlicz both finished the game with eight points, while Izzy Pugh added six. Jada Williams led Milwaukee with three steals. Buwalda paced the Panthers with five assists, and Sophia Rampulla added three.
 
Milwaukee will return to the Klotsche Center on Wednesday evening to host Marquette at 6:00 p.m.