MILWAUKEE – After winning Sunday's game against Cleveland State, 66-58, the Milwaukee women's basketball team will make its way to Michigan to take on the Detroit Mercy Titans at Calihan Hall on Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m. (CT).
 
Thursday's game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with live stats of the game also available. Links to the broadcast and live stats can be found on MKEPanthers.com. 
 
THE MATCHUP & GAME LINKS
Thursday, Jan. 8 | Milwaukee at Detroit Mercy | Calihan Hall | Detroit, Mich. | 6:00 p.m. (CT) | ESPN+ / Live Stats | Follow Along (on X)
 
QUICK NOTES
» Coming off the fifth biggest comeback in program history with its win over Cleveland State, the Milwaukee basketball team begins a three-game road trip starting with Detroit Mercy at Calihan Hall on Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m.
» On Sunday, Milwaukee erased a 16-point first-half deficit, and a 12-point halftime deficit, to upend the Vikings by a 66-58 score. Jorey Buwalda and Grace Lomen played big roles in the comeback, with Buwalda scoring 14 second-half points and Lomen adding 13.
» In the second half on Sunday, Milwaukee shot 60.7 percent from the field and were also 5-of-11 from three as Lomen connected on three and Madison Fitzgibbon knocked down a pair from range. The Panther defense stepped up by holding Cleveland State to just 29.4 percent on 10-of-34 from the field in the second half.
» The 16-point deficit, as well as the 12-point halftime deficit, were both the fifth largest comebacks in their respective categories in program history dating back to the first season of Division I basketball in 1990-91.
» The win on Sunday for Milwaukee was also the program's 500th victory as a Division I program.
» Detroit Mercy enters Thursday's game on a three-game skid with losses to NAIA member Rochester Christian, as well as Horizon League losses at both Wright State and Northern Kentucky.
» In the Titans' most recent loss to the Norse, 75-57, Nisea Burrell paced Detroit Mercy with 13 points, while Addisen Mastriano scored nine. Jasmine Edwards had a team-best nine rebounds to go along with six points.
» Last season, Milwaukee was swept by the Titans, including a Horizon League First Round loss, which ended the Panther season. Both regular season matches were decided by a combined six points, including a four-point loss on Feb. 13 at Calihan Hall.
» The Panthers are 38-32 against Detroit Mercy all-time, which includes a 17-17 mark in road games. Milwaukee has dropped its last three trips to the Motor City.

QUICK LOOK AT DETROIT MERCY
One of two new coaches in the Horizon League in 2025-26, Kiefer Haffey was named Detroit Mercy's new coach following the departure of Kate Achter to Western Michigan earlier in the offseason. Haffey inherits a Titan team coming off a successful 15-win season, including eight in Horizon play a year ago and was selected to finish seventh in the preseason poll after a sixth-place finish in 2024-25.

Detroit Mercy's claim to success this season is getting to the free throw line as the team enters play this week 42nd in NCAA Division I and third in the Horizon League in free throw attempts per game at 20.79. However, the team has not been successful in those attempts with the Titans converting a league-worst 64.6 from the stripe, placing them 316th of 359 Division I programs.

The Titans do not take many threes, averaging just 16.6 attempts per game, by comparison Northern Kentucky attempts the most three pointers in the Horizon League at 24.4, while Arkansas State leads the nation at 34.3 attempts per contest.

Detroit Mercy has also struggled in the turnover game, giving the ball away an average of 18.8 times per game, the 10th worst mark in the league. The team's assist to turnover ratio number is 0.56, which ranks at the bottom of the Horizon League as well.   

DETROIT MERCY – PLAYERS TO WATCH
Makayla Jackson – 12 GP / 10 GS, 27.4 MPG, 11.7 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 15 AST, 23 STL
Jasmine Edwards – 14 GP / 14 GS, 30.4 MPG, 11.2 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 15 AST, 11 STL
Nisea Burrell – 11 GP / 10 GS, 33.2 MPG, 9.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 20 AST, 17 STL
Aaliyah McQueen – 11 GP / 9 GS, 26.8 MPG, 8.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 22 AST, 10 BLK

UP NEXT
Milwaukee visits Oakland on Saturday afternoon as the Panthers will face the Golden Grizzlies at 1:00 p.m. (CT) at the Athletics Center O'Rena. After a few days off, Milwaukee heads back on the road for a visit to Northern Kentucky on Jan. 14.

LAST MEETING
The last time Milwaukee and Detroit Mercy met came in the Horizon League First Round a season ago on Mar. 4. The Titans and Panthers were tied at halftime before Detroit outscored Milwaukee by 11 in the second half to advance to the quarterfinal round, where the Titans took on Cleveland State.

Among Milwaukee's returners, Jorey Buwalda scored nine points off the bench and Grace Lomen knocked down a three pointer. Payton Rechlicz started for the Panthers in the postseason loss, and Jada Williams also came in off the bench.

Makayla Jackson led the Titans with a 10-for-12 effort including a pair of three pointers, ending the game with 25 points. Myonna Hooper added 15 points off the bench as Detroit Mercy connected on 47.5 percent from the field to earn the win.

ON THIS DATE
Milwaukee is 9-1 all-time in games played on Jan. 8, the Panthers had their nine-game win streak snapped in 2022, when IU Indy squeaked by with a 63-60 win.

The Panthers and Titans have never met on Jan. 8, while Milwaukee has two wins against both Youngstown State 2009 & 2011), and Butler (1998 & 2004).

COMEBACK WINS
In Milwaukee's win on Jan. 4 against Cleveland State, the Panthers erased a 16-point deficit in the second half and earned an eight-point victory over the Vikings by a 66-58 score. The 16 point deficit was tied for the fifth largest deficit overcome by the Panthers, with the program record a 22-point first half deficit against Navy on Nov. 30, 1997.

In addition to Milwaukee erasing a 16-point deficit against CSU, the Panthers trailed by 12 points at halftime and came back to win, which was the fifth largest comeback from a halftime score in program history. The program mark was 16 as Milwaukee trailed Kansas City by a 36-20 margin on Jan. 30, 1992 and won by a 70-64 final.

Erasing the 12-point halftime deficit and winning by eight was a 20-point turnaround, again the fifth largest in MKE history. The program record is +28, following a five-point deficit at 39-34 against SIU Edwardsville on Nov. 26, 2008, while the Panthers ended up winning by an 88-65 final.

Earlier in the year 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 win every season since 1995-96. The program record for comeback wins in a season is seven (both 2016-17 and 2019-20).

500 DIVISION I WINS
With Milwaukee's win over Cleveland State on Jan. 4, the women's basketball program earned its 500th win 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 192.

MIXING & MATCHING
Milwaukee has used 10 different starting lineups through the first 16 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.

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 became 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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).

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 120-45 (.727). When shooting 43 percent or better, the Panthers improve to 103-25 (.805). When shooting below 40 percent, Milwaukee is 27-103 (.208).

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 38.2 percent (160-419) in first halves, 40.4 percent (174-431) in second halves, and 33.3 percent (2-6) in overtime.

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 24-21 when scoring more than 25 points in the paint and 5-31 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
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 2-4 in single-digit games.

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 sea-son 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.