MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee women's basketball team continues a three-game homestand on Thursday evening, welcoming Detroit Mercy for a 6:00 p.m. tip at the Klotsche Center.
 
Thursday's game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Matt Menzl on the air to call all the action, links for the broadcast as well as live stats of the game are available at MKEPanthers.com.
 
THE MATCHUP & GAME LINKS
Thursday, Jan. 22 | Detroit Mercy at Milwaukee | Klotsche Center | Milwaukee, Wis. | 6:00 p.m. | ESPN+ / Live Stats | Tickets | Follow Along (on X)
 
QUICK NOTES
» With a new week of competition ahead, the Panthers will host the Detroit Mercy Titans on Thursday evening with tip set for 6:00 p.m.
» Milwaukee fell to Green Bay on Saturday afternoon with the Phoenix running away late in the fourth quarter for a 76-61 win.
» The Panthers were led by Madison Fitzgibbon on Saturday with a career-high 19 points, while Grace Lomen added 17 and Payton Rechlicz scored 11. Jorey Buwalda had a team-high seven rebounds.
» Milwaukee was called for a season-worst 29 fouls, allowing Green Bay to go 26-of-34 from the free throw line.
» Detroit Mercy has dropped seven games in a row, including its meeting with Milwaukee in Detroit on Jan. 8.
» In their most recent loss, the Titans fell to Oakland on Sunday afternoon by an 80-70 score at home. Myonna Hooper led Detroit Mercy with 22 points including eight from the free throw line, while Jasmine Edwards added 12 points.
» Despite shooting north of 40 percent, the Titans fell to the Golden Grizzlies. It was the sixth time this season that De-troit Mercy had better than a 40.0 shooting percentage and lost.
» Milwaukee snapped its three-game losing streak to the Titans on Jan. 8 and are looking for its first season sweep of Detroit Mercy since the 2022-23 season. In all-time meetings, MKE owns a 39-32 record, while the Panthers are 21-13 in home games against the Titans.

QUICK LOOK AT DETROIT MERCY
Detroit Mercy has lost their last seven contests and enter play this week with a 4-14 overall mark with a 2-7 record in the Horizon League. The Titans have wins over Cleveland State and IU Indy and began the league slate, 2-0, before seven-straight losses including an 80-70 loss during its last contest at home against Oakland.

Over its seven-game losing streak, Detroit Mercy has been outscored 539-444. The difference has been the defensive effort by the Titans, who have struggled and allowed opponents to shoot 46.1 percent overall and 32.7 percent from three. By comparison, the Titans have shot 37.6 percent overall and 25.4 percent from range. Free throw shooting has also been a major difference with opponents connecting on 76.2 percent with UDM making just over 60 percent at 60.6 percent.

Fourteen players have seen time on the floor for Detroit Mercy this season with nine different Titans starting in at least one game. The only player to start in at least 15 of the team's 18 contests this season is Jasmine Edwards, who has started in all 18 and is second on the team in minutes per game at 31.6 per contest. Edwards is leading the team in scoring at 11.2 points per game as well as rebounding at 7.9 per contest.

DETROIT MERCY – PLAYERS TO WATCH
Jasmine Edwards – 18 GP / 18 GS, 31.6 MPG, 11.2 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 21 AST, 20 STL
Makayla Jackson – 16 GP / 13 GS, 26.2 MPG, 10.9 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 18 AST, 21 STL
Nisea Burrell – 15 GP / 14 GS, 33.3 MPG, 8.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 32 AST, 21 STL
Myonna Hooper – 18 GP / 12 GS, 24.3 MPG, 7.4 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 27 AST, 12 STL

UP NEXT
Milwaukee wraps up its three-game homestand against Oakland on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. before heading out on the road to take on Cleveland State on Jan 28. The Panthers will be looking for their first season sweep over the Vikings since 2020-21 season and looking for their first win in Cleveland since Feb. 15, 2019.

LAST MEETING
Just two weeks ago, Milwaukee and Detroit Mercy met in the Motor City at Calihan Hall and the Panthers came out on top by a 74-61 margin. The Titans scored the opening bucket, but Milwaukee scored the next 11 paced by three three-pointers by Grace Lomen.

The Panthers used a 22-6 opening quarter and a 26-16 third quarter to take a comfortable lead into the fourth. Detroit Mercy put the pressure on Milwaukee by outscoring the Panthers 22-10 in the fourth quarter, falling by 13 in the loss.

Lomen finished the game with 21 while Jorey Buwalda had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Madison Fitzgibbon added 10 and Payton Rechlicz scored nine.

ON THIS DATE
In 10 games played on Jan. 22, the Panthers are 6-4 but are 1-3 in their last four outings. Milwaukee's last game came in 2022-23, a 61-51 loss to Youngstown State, while the team's last win came in 2020-21, a 74-66 win at The Jungle over IU Indy.

The Panthers have never faced an opponent from the State of Michigan on the history of Jan. 20.

GOMES IN THE FOURTH
Rita Gomes knocked down three three-pointers in the fourth quarter against Northern Kentucky on Jan. 14. It was her second such performance this season after accomplishing the same feat on Nov. 23 at Butler and Nov. 29 vs. UC Davis.

The last Panther with at least three threes in a single quarter was Jada Donaldson, who hit three in the first quarter at Detroit Mercy on Feb. 13, 2025. The last to do so in the fourth quarter was Angie Cera during Milwaukee's 93–87 overtime win against Wright State on Jan. 26, 2024.

QUICK STARTS FROM DISTANCE
In Milwaukee's win over Detroit Mercy on Jan. 8, the Panthers knocked down six three-pointers in the opening quarter, including three by Grace Lomen. It tied the most three-pointers in a quarter this season, a mark first set in the opening quarter at home against Ripon on Dec. 14.

Milwaukee has connected on at least five three-pointers four times this season, all in the first quarter. The Panthers made five triples in the opening frame at Northern Illinois (Nov. 7) and at Purdue Fort Wayne (Dec. 10), while knocking down six in the first quarter against both Ripon (Dec. 14) and Detroit Mercy (Jan. 8).

COMEBACK WINS
In Milwaukee's Jan. 4 win over Cleveland State, the Panthers erased a 16-point second-half deficit to earn a 66–58 victory. The 16-point comeback was tied for the fifth-largest deficit overcome in program history, with the record standing at 22 points after Milwaukee rallied from a first-half deficit against Navy on Nov. 30, 1997.

In addition to erasing the 16-point deficit, the Panthers also trailed by 12 points at halftime before coming back to win—tied for the fifth-largest halftime comeback in program history. The program record is 16, set when Milwaukee trailed Kansas City 36–20 on Jan. 30, 1992, before winning 70–64.

Erasing the 12-point halftime deficit and winning by eight represented a 20-point turnaround, again tied for the fifth-largest in program history. The program record is +28, achieved after trailing SIU Edwardsville 39–34 on Nov. 26, 2008, before winning 88–65.

Earlier this season on Nov. 17, Milwaukee erased a 31–29 halftime deficit to defeat Valparaiso, 72–67. It marked the first comeback win of the season and extended a streak of at least one comeback victory every year since 1995–96. The program record for comeback wins in a season is seven (2016–17 and 2019–20).

DOUBLE-DOUBLES FOR BUWALDA
Jorey Buwalda entered her junior season with two career double-doubles and has added six more in 2025–26, recording them against Loyola Chicago, Valparaiso, Purdue Fort Wayne, Ripon, IU Indy, and Detroit Mercy. Her 17 rebounds against Valparaiso and Ripon marked new career highs.

With double-doubles in three consecutive games from Dec. 10 through Dec. 29, Buwalda became just the 18th player in program history to record double-doubles in three straight contests. The program record is six, set by Avyanna Young from Feb. 21 through Mar. 12, 2014.

FOUR STEALS, ONE GAME
Three different Panthers have recorded four-steal performances this season:
• Sophia Rampulla vs. Marquette (Nov. 19)
• Valerie Cassidy-De Falco vs. Pacific (Nov. 28)
• Tierney Madigan vs. UC Davis (Nov. 29)

No Panther has recorded more than four steals in a game since Feb. 19, 2021, when Miquela Santoro tallied six against UIC.

BIG REBOUNDING EFFORTS
In Milwaukee's win over Valparaiso on Nov. 16, Jorey Buwalda grabbed a career-best 17 rebounds, becoming the first Panther with at least 15 boards since Megan Walstad pulled down 16 against Robert Morris on Jan. 20, 2023. Buwalda matched the effort with 17 rebounds again against Ripon on Dec. 14.

On the other side, UC Davis' Megan Norris became the first opposing player to record 15 or more rebounds against Milwaukee since Marquette's Chloe Marotta grabbed 16 on Nov. 13, 2022.

TRUE FRESHMAN STARTER IN SEASON OPENER
Against Loyola Chicago, Madison Fitzgibbon became just the 18th true freshman to start a season opener for Milwaukee since joining Division I in 1990–91—and the first since the 2022–23 season.

A DOZEN THREES IN CONSECUTIVE GAMES
Milwaukee made 13 three-pointers on Dec. 10 at Purdue Fort Wayne and followed it with 12 more on Dec. 14 against Ripon. It marked the first time the Panthers have made at least a dozen three-pointers in consecutive games since late February 2013, when Milwaukee hit 12 at Valparaiso (Feb. 21) and 12 at Wright State (Feb. 23).

The 25 three-pointers over the two-game span are the most for the Panthers since earlier in the 2012–13 season, when Milwaukee combined for 25 on 11 threes at Toledo (Dec. 8, 2012) and 14 more at DePaul (Dec. 11, 2012).

MIXING & MATCHING
Milwaukee has used 10 different starting lineups through the first 16 games of the season, while 12 of the 13 active players on the roster have made at least one start. Kendall Barnes became the most recent Panther to make her first career start on Dec. 29, 2025, at IU Indy.

TEN FOR THREE
After posting just three games with 10 or more three-pointers in 2023–24, Milwaukee rebounded with eight such performances in 2024–25 and has recorded four more so far in 2025–26. Under Kyle Rechlicz, the Panthers have made at least 10 three-pointers in a game 75 times.

500 DIVISION I WINS
With Milwaukee's win over Cleveland State on Jan. 4, the women's basketball program earned its 500th Division I victory dating back to its inaugural 1990–91 season. MA Kelling led the program with 57 wins over its first five years, Jenny Sell recorded four wins in 1995–96, Sandy Botham totaled 245 victories, and current head coach Kyle Rechlicz has added 192.

MAGIC NUMBER
Since 2016–17, Milwaukee is 121–45 (.729) when shooting at least 40 percent from the field. When shooting 43 percent or better, the Panthers improve to 104–25 (.806). When shooting below 40 percent, Milwaukee is 27–106 (.203).

BALANCING THE FIRST AND SECOND HALVES
Last season, Milwaukee shot 39.6 percent (354-of-896) in first halves and 39.3 percent (338-of-862) in second halves. In overtime, the Panthers shot 7-of-30 (23.3 percent).

This season, Milwaukee is shooting 38.0 percent (198-of-521) in first halves, 40.3 percent (220-of-546) in second halves, and 33.3 percent (2-of-6) in overtime.

KEEPING THE FOULS DOWN
Since 2022–23, Milwaukee is 13–2 when committing 11 or fewer fouls. Conversely, the Panthers are 12–35 when committing 18 or more.

IN THE PAINT
Since the start of the 2023–24 season, Milwaukee is 25–21 when scoring more than 25 points in the paint and 5–34 when scoring fewer than 25.

ONE-POINT GAMES
With its loss to Western Michigan on Nov. 13, Milwaukee fell to 21–19 all-time in one-point games, including a 12–9 record at home. The Panthers' last one-point win came on Nov. 26, 2022, against Boise State in overtime (55–54). Their last one-point win in regulation—and last at home—was on Jan. 13, 2018, against Youngstown State (62–61).

CLOSE GAMES
In 2024–25, Milwaukee went 3–14 in games decided by nine points or fewer. Those three wins came in both home and road victories over IU Indy and a home win over Youngstown State. In 2025–26, the Panthers are 2–5 in games decided by single digits.

IN OVERTIME
Last season, Milwaukee set a program record by appearing in four overtime games and now owns a 22–27 all-time record in games extending beyond regulation since joining Division I in 1990–91. The Panthers have played three overtime season openers—defeating Parkside in 2019–20 and falling to Ball State (2021–22) and St. Thomas (2024–25). Milwaukee is 1–0 in overtime so far in 2025–26.