MILWAUKEE – Before heading out on a three-game road trip, Milwaukee will host the Cleveland State Vikings at the Klotsche Center for a Sunday matinee beginning at 2:00 p.m.

Sunday'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
Sunday, Jan. 4 | Cleveland State at Milwaukee | Klotsche Center | Milwaukee, Wis. | 2:00 p.m. | ESPN+ / Live Stats | Tickets | Follow Along (on X)
 
QUICK NOTES
» After a loss on Friday evening, the Milwaukee Panthers are looking to bounce back on Sunday with a home game against Cleveland State at 2:00 p.m.
» The Panthers dropped a 10-point game to Robert Morris, 62-52, on Friday. Jada Williams led the Panthers with 11 points off the bench including three three-pointers, while Jorey Buwalda added 10 points and a team-best five re-bounds. Valerie Cassidy-De Falco had four assists in the game.
» Milwaukee has been stout defensively over its last four games, holding opponents to just 53.75 points per game, well below the team's season average of 65.6 points allowed per contest.
» Cleveland State is 2-3 to start Horizon League play in 2025-26 and enters off back-to-back losses to Youngstown State on Dec. 29, and at Green Bay on Friday.
» In the loss at the Kress Center, the Vikings outrebounded the Phoenix, 38-32, and had a better overall field goal per-centage, connecting on 41.5 percent from the floor to Green Bay's 37.9 percent. The difference, however, was CSU turning the ball over 18 times and allowing GB to score 16 points off giveaways.
» The Vikings are looking to extend their winning streak to 10 against the Panthers with a win on Sunday after sweep-ing last year's season series, 73-68 in overtime in Cleveland and 89-81 in Milwaukee on Feb. 1.
» Milwaukee boasts a 22-11 record against Cleveland State in all-time home games, while MKE is 34-29 in conference games and 36-33 overall against the Vikings.

QUICK LOOK AT CLEVELAND STATE
Chris Kielsmeier doesn't rebuild, he reloads, as the Vikings are once again expected to be one of the top teams in the Horizon League despite the loss of major pieces from last year's roster. The team does feature the return of Preseason Player of the Year Colbi Maples, as well as Izabella Zingaro, and Jada Leonard, who are three of the top four scorers in the Horizon League.

The top offense in the league, CSU averages 72.6 points per game, with their defense just as stout, allowing a league-best 56.8 points per contest. The team is also second in rebounding margin at +4.0 and top-five in turnover margin at +1.5. With 11.0 steals per game, the Vikings are second to just IU Indy and are one of just two teams averaging double figures in steals.

Cleveland State enters the weekend as one of the top teams nationally, among being first in the league, shooting 46.3 percent per game this season. CSU still loves getting to the free throw line and is 21st nationally in attempts, and 22nd nationally in free throw makes per contest. Zingaro and Maples are both in the top-50 among Division I players in free throw attempts, with both over 75 already this season.

It's been a while since Cleveland State has suffered back-to-back conference losses, entering Sunday's game off defeats to Youngstown State and Green Bay. The last time the Vikings had dropped consecutive Horizon League games was in February of 2022, with losses to Youngstown State and Robert Morris at home. The last time CSU dropped at least three games consecutively in league play was a five-game stretch with two losses against Wright State, two against Milwaukee and one against Green Bay from Jan. 8 through Jan. 22 during the 2020-21 season.

CLEVELAND STATE – PLAYERS TO WATCH
Colbi Maples – 14 GP / 14 GS, 28.9 MPG, 15.9 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 28 AST, 27 STL
Izabella Zingaro – 16 GP / 16 GS, 22.5 PPG, 14.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 10 BLK
Jada Leonard – 16 GP / 16 GS, 32.8 MPG, 13.4 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 50 AST, 54 STL
Macey Fegan – 16 GP / 16 GS, 25.6 MPG, 7.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 33 AST, 18 STL

UP NEXT
After home games in four of its last five, Milwaukee heads on the road for the next three. The Michigan swing in Horizon League play begins with Detroit Mercy on Jan. 8 at 6:00 p.m. (CT) before a visit to Oakland on Jan. 10 at 1:00 p.m. (CT), the trip concludes with Northern Kentucky on Jan. 14 at 5:00 p.m. (CT).

LAST MEETING
The last time the Panthers and Vikings met on the court was at the Klotsche Center on Feb. 1, 2025, an 89-81 win for Cleveland State. Mickayla Perdue had 30 points in the win including eight field goals, and an 11-for-12 effort at the free throw line. Jordan Reisma went 9-for-9 at the stripe as the Vikings finished the game with an impressive 28-for-29 total from the charity stripe.

Milwaukee had 21 points from Kacee Baumhower off the bench, while Anna Lutz had 14. The top returner for the Panthers from last season's game was Jorey Buwalda, who scored 12 points, while Payton Rechlicz scored eight against the Vikings. Izzy Pugh scored nine for MKE on 4-of-7 from the floor.

ON THIS DATE
In 10 games played on Jan. 4 in program history the Panthers are 3-7, including losses in their last four contests. One of Milwaukee's most common opponents on Jan. 4 is Cleveland State, who the Panthers defeated 89-73 during the 2002-03 season, and more recently loss to the Vikings by a 73-61 margin in 2009-10. Last season, Milwaukee hosted Northern Kentucky and lost to the Norse by a 68-65 score.

DOUBLE-DOUBLES FOR BUWALDA
Jorey Buwalda entered her junior season with two career double-doubles and has added five more in 2025-26, recording them against Loyola Chicago and Valparaiso. Her 17 rebounds at Valpo and versus Ripon marked new career highs.

With double doubles in three consecutive games played from Dec. 10 through Dec. 29, Jorey Buwalda becomes just the 18th player in program history to record double-doubles in three-straight. The program record is six, set by Avyanna Young from Feb. 21 through Mar. 12 in 2014. Recently, Megan Walstad had a streak of four-straight games from Jan. 8 through Jan. 16, 2021.

MIXING & MATCHING
Milwaukee has used nine different starting lineups through the first 15 games this season, while 12 of the 13 active players on this season's roster have started in at least one game, Kendall Barnes is the most recent Panther to make her first career start on Dec. 29, 2025, at IU Indy.

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

Twenty-five three-pointers over a two-game span is the most for the Panthers since earlier in the 2012-13 season, with a combined 25 coming from 11 three-pointers at Toledo (Dec. 8, 2012) and 14 more the following game at DePaul (Dec. 11, 2012).

BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK FOR THE FRESHMAN
True freshman Tierney Madigan has scored in double figures in three straight games—10 against Pacific, 13 vs. UC Davis, and 17 against Youngstown State. She is the first true freshman to do so since Jorey Buwalda in 2023-24.

The last Milwaukee freshman with four straight double-digit games was Megan Walstad in 2018-19, a stretch that included a longer run of seven consecutive double-figure scoring games from Nov. 13 to Dec. 7, 2018.

GOMES IN THE FOURTH
Rita Gomes hit three three-pointers in the fourth quarter against UC Davis on Nov. 29. It was her second such performance this season after doing the same on Nov. 23 at Butler.

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 in Milwaukee's 93-87 overtime win vs. Wright State on Jan. 26, 2024.

FOUR STEALS, ONE GAME
Three different Panthers have tallied four-steal games 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 since Feb. 19, 2021, when Miquela Santoro had 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 on Jan. 20, 2023, against Robert Morris, Buwalda did so again with 17 rebounds against Ripon on Dec. 14.

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

OVERTIME WIN VS. VALPARAISO
Milwaukee and Valparaiso went to overtime for the third time in series history on Nov. 17. The Panthers scored 12 points in the extra session—their most in an OT period since Nov. 4, 2024, at St. Thomas (14 points). Grace Lomen scored 10 of Milwaukee's 12 overtime points, becoming the first Panther with double-digit points in an overtime period since Angela Rodriguez had 11 on Dec. 4, 2012.

COMEBACK WIN
On Nov. 17, Milwaukee erased a 31-29 halftime deficit to defeat Valparaiso 72-67. It marked the team's first comeback win of the season and extended a streak of at least one comeback win every season since 1995-96. The program record for comeback wins in a season is seven (2016-17 and 2019-20).

IN OVERTIME
Last season, Milwaukee set a program record by appearing in four overtime games and now holds a 22-27 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 in 2025-26.

FIRST YEAR HEAD COACHES
Milwaukee faced four first-year head coaches in its first five games:
• Jacey Brooks (Northern Illinois)
• Robin Pingeton (Wisconsin)
• Kate Achter (Western Michigan)
• Courtney Boyd (Valparaiso)

Two head coaches are new to the Horizon League this year as well: Kiefer Haffey (Detroit Mercy) and Keisha Newell (Oakland).

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).

FRESHMAN SUCCESS AT NORTHERN ILLINOIS
In Milwaukee's win at NIU, the Panthers were led by freshmen Kendall Barnes (17 points) and Madison Fitzgibbon (15 points).

The last time two Milwaukee freshmen scored at least 15 points in the same game was Jan. 2, 2011, vs. Detroit Mercy (Angela Rodriguez 15, Courtney Lindfors 15). The last time two players reached double figures in the same game was Dec. 29, 2022, also against Detroit Mercy (Anna Lutz 11, Kamy Peppler 10).

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 2022-23.

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 digit outside the traditional 0–5 range. The NCAA lifted restrictions on numbers 6–9 prior to the 2023-24 season.

CLOSING IN ON 500
Milwaukee currently has 499 wins at the Division I level, dating back to its inaugural 1990-91 season. MA Kelling led the program with 57 wins over the first five years, Jenny Sell recorded four wins in 1995-96, Sandy Botham totaled 245 wins, and current head coach Kyle Rechlicz has added 191.

PANTHERS FOR THREE
In January 2025, Iowa State's NCAA Division I record-breaking streak of 945 consecutive games with a made three-pointer ended against Texas Tech. With the Cyclones' streak stopped, Milwaukee now owns the fourth-longest active streak in Division I.

All-Time Streaks
1. Iowa State – 945 (Feb. 19, 1995–Jan. 11, 2025)
2. Chattanooga – 819 (Dec. 16, 1999–Present)*
3. BYU – 809 (Feb. 26, 2000–Present)*
4. South Alabama – 770 (Feb. 2000–Present)*
5. Milwaukee – 716 (Nov. 29, 2002–Present)*
6. Dayton – 697 (Jan. 2, 2001–Jan. 17, 2024)
* Active streaks (through Jan. 2, 2026)

TEN FOR THREE
After posting only three games with 10+ three-pointers in 2023-24, Milwaukee rebounded with eight such games in 2024-25 and has two thus far in 2025-26. Under Kyle Rechlicz, the Panthers have recorded at least 10 threes in a game 73 times.

MAGIC NUMBER
Since 2016-17, when Milwaukee shoots at least 40 percent from the field, it is 119-45 (.726). When shooting 43 percent or better, the Panthers improve to 102-25 (.803). When shooting below 40 percent, Milwaukee is 27-103 (.208).

KEEPING THE FOULS DOWN
Since 2022-23, Milwaukee is 13-2 when committing 11 or fewer fouls. Conversely, the Panthers are 11-33 when committing 18 or more.

IN THE PAINT
Since the start of the 2023-24 season, Milwaukee is 23-21 when scoring more than 25 points in the paint and 5-31 when scoring fewer than 25.

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

This season, Milwaukee is shooting 38.9 percent (153-393) in first halves, 39.0 percent (157-403) in second halves, and 33.3 percent (2-6) in overtime.

CLOSE GAMES
Last season, Milwaukee went 3-14 in games decided by nine points or fewer. The Panthers' 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 1-4 in single-digit games.