MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee women's basketball was unable to hold onto an early lead as visiting Green Bay erased a pair of nine-point deficits to claim a 76-61 win.
 
Saturday was also Alumni Day at the Klotsche Center, as the Panthers welcomed back numerous alumni from across the program's history while celebrating the anniversaries of the team's 2000-01 and 2005-06 league championships and NCAA Tournament appearances.
 
The Panthers got off to a fast start, building a nine-point advantages at both 10-1 and 17-8 in the first quarter before Green Bay answered with a 17-7 effort in the second to take a 27-24 halftime advantage.
 
Grace Lomen scored 11 points in the first half and finished with 17, while Madison Fitzgibbon led the Panthers with a career-high 19 points. Payton Rechlicz also reached double figures with 11 points and added four assists. Jorey Buwalda paced the team with seven rebounds, and Cece McNair recorded a pair of blocks.

"Grace [Lomen] played like a senior, determined to make a statement today, and we needed that from her," said head coach Kyle Rechlicz. "I was very proud of Madison [Fitzgibbon] and Payton [Rechlicz] as well, their confidence and determination to execute the game plan as underclassmen were at a high level."
 
Milwaukee erased the halftime deficit and took a 38-35 lead when Rechlicz converted a layup, but the Phoenix responded immediately with a three-pointer on the ensuing possession to tie the score.
 
Trailing by four late in the third, Fitzgibbon knocked down one of her five three-pointers in the closing seconds to pull the Panthers within one, 47-46, heading to the final period.
 
Milwaukee was unable to tie or regain the lead in the fourth, as Green Bay opened the quarter on an 11-2 run to build a 58-48 advantage before securing the 15-point win.

"We battled today for three quarters but made too many defensive mistakes in the fourth," added Rechlicz. "Give a lot of credit to Green Bay, their experience, physical toughness, and getting to the free throw line in the 4th put us on our heels a bit. The mentality that we showed up with needs to happen every game though, not just when we are playing our rival." 
 
Green Bay went to the free-throw line a season-high 34 times, converting 26 attempts. Meghan Schultz led the Phoenix 20 points, while Jenna Guyer posted her third double-double of the season with 15 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Maddy Skorupski added 10 points and six steals. Kamy Peppler scored six points, including the 1,000th of her collegiate career.
 
Milwaukee's three-point shooting kept the Panthers within striking distance, as MKE knocked down 10 triples on the afternoon. Fitzgibbon accounted for five, Lomen added four, and Rechlicz connected on one.
 
Milwaukee remains home and will host Detroit Mercy on Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m. at the Klotsche Center, followed by a home game versus Oakland on Saturday afternoon. 

"These next two games at home will be very important," Rechlicz concluded. "I hope we come out with the same pride and competitiveness we did today."