MILWAUKEE – Behind a double-double performance from Grace Lomen, the Milwaukee women's basketball team upended the Wisconsin Lutheran Warriors, 76-52, on Saturday afternoon.
 
Lomen scored 21 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for her first double-double as a Panther and third of her career. Lomen made seven field goals, went a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line, and added a pair of steals on the defensive end.
 
Four Panthers chipped in with at least eight points off the bench, led by 10 from Tierney Madigan. Valerie Cassidy-De Falco, Kendall Barnes, and Micayla Silas each scored eight points.
 
Cece McNair made her first career start and finished with seven rebounds and four points, while Barnes added eight rebounds as well as the Panthers outrebounded the Warriors, 46-29. Barnes and Cassidy-De Falco each paced Milwaukee with three steals, and Payton Rechlicz accounted for two of the Panthers' three blocks.
 
Wisconsin Lutheran started hot, taking a 12-4 lead midway through the opening quarter, before Milwaukee tied the game at 17 following a layup by Madigan. WLC held a 19-17 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
 
"We knew we were going to get their best shot, they're very well coached," said head coach Kyle Rechlicz on Wisconsin Lutheran. "They're a team that's battle tested, playing a lot of really good Division III teams and won a lot of those games."
 
The Panthers responded with a strong second quarter, outscoring the Warriors, 15-3. Milwaukee held Wisconsin Lutheran to just 1-of-14 shooting in the period and carried a 32-22 lead into halftime.
 
In the third quarter, WLC posted its best shooting stretch of the game at 8-of-13, while Milwaukee following with a 7-for-16 effort and held an eight-point lead heading into the fourth. Lomen scored nine of her 21 points in the period, going 3-for-6 from the field and 3-for-3 at the free throw line.
 
"Grace played like a senior which was huge for us," noted Rechlicz on Lomen. "I think she put our team on her back for a period of time during that game and it was awesome to see our team continue to feed the hot hand."
 
Milwaukee pulled away in the fourth, outscoring the Warriors 25-9 to seal the victory. Silas knocked down a pair of three-pointers in the quarter to lead the Panthers with eight points in the frame.
 
"I was proud of how our bench played, I thought we got some fantastic moments from Kendall, Tierney and Micayla," added Rechlicz. "They came in and gave us a huge lift."
 
Milwaukee finished the game making 45 percent from the field while holding Wisconsin Lutheran to 35.6 percent. WLC stayed within range from beyond the arc, knocking down eight three-pointers.
 
The Panthers scored half their points in the paint and capitalized on 17 offensive rebounds for 16 second-chance points, tying a season high. Milwaukee also matched its season high with 16 fast-break points.
 
"It was awesome to see some of our players come flying in for offensive boards," said Rechlicz. "They performed their responsibilities well. We talked to our team about about doing your job and doing it well."
 
"We talk a lot about growing from losses and wins and I think that our team has taken some really big steps in this non-conference slate, and now it's time to put it all together," Rechlicz concluded. "I really think the league is very competitive, and there's going to be a lot of tie breakers at the end of the year and so coming in with a sense of urgency that every game matters is going to be really important."
 
Milwaukee will pause for the holiday before shifting its focus to the final 18 games of the 2025-26 season, all coming in Horizon League play. The Panthers return to action on Dec. 29 at The Jungle in Indianapolis against IU Indy at 5:30 p.m. (CT).