MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee looks to make it three wins in a row as the Panthers visit the Oakland Golden Grizzlies on Saturday afternoon. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m. (CT) at the Athletics Center O'Rena in Rochester, Mich.
 
Saturday'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
Saturday, Jan. 8 | Milwaukee at Oakland | Athletics Center O'Rena | Rochester, Mich. | 1:00 p.m. (CT) | ESPN+ / Live Stats | Follow Along (on X)
 
QUICK NOTES
» Milwaukee won its second-straight game on Thursday evening, knocking off the Detroit Mercy Titans by a score of 74-61 at Calihan Hall.
» The Panthers shot a season-high 51.9 percent overall and 57.1 percent from three en route to the 13-point win.
» Grace Lomen led the way for the Panthers with her second-straight game knocking down four three-pointers, she ended the game with 21 points, her third 20+ point game of the season.
» Jorey Buwalda recorded her sixth double-double of the season, and eighth of her career, at Detroit Mercy on Thursday. She ended the game with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
» The Panthers stormed out of the gates on Thursday and knocked down six three-pointers in the opening quarter. Milwaukee finished 8-for-10 from the field in both the first and third periods, while over the first 20 minutes of the game the Panthers had 13 field goal makes coming off 12 assists.
» Oakland fell on Thursday night to Green Bay by the score of 78-63, allowing at least 70 points for the third consecutive game. Despite their best shooting night since Nov. 26, the Golden Grizzlies were unable to keep pace with the Phoenix, who shot 57.7 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three.
» Angie Smith led the Golden Grizzlies with 13 points and five assists, while Lianna Baxter scored 13 points with seven rebounds. Makenzie Luehring added 10 points and four assists with three steals in the effort. On the opposite side of the floor, former Oakland guard Maddy Skorupski had 21 points and eight rebounds in 31 minutes during her return to the O'Rena.
» Milwaukee leads the all-time series against Oakland, 16-12, which including a record of 7-5 at the O'Rena. Last season, the two sides split their meetings with the Panthers winning in Michigan, 61-49. Earlier in the year, it was a three-pointer at the end of regulation by Skorupski to send the game to overtime, where Oakland outscored Milwaukee 8-5, en route to the 75-72 win.

QUICK LOOK AT OAKLAND
Currently 1-5 through its first six Horizon League games, the Golden Grizzlies lone win came in a dramatic come-from-behind effort on the road against Robert Morris. Under the direction of first-year head coach Keisha Newell, who had plenty of success at the NAIA and Division II levels, Newell is tasked with taking over an Oakland team that finished 10th in last year's standings and was projected last in the preseason poll for 2025-26.

Oakland is currently 10th in the Horizon League in scoring at 61.1 points per game, while the defense has allowed a league-worst 73.6 points per contest, placing their scoring margin at -12.6 per game. By comparison, Detroit Mercy is 10th in the league and enters the weekend at -8.8 points per contest.

The Golden Grizzlies are in the middle of the pack when it comes to rebounding, averaging 35.1 per contest, including the fourth-best mark in the league in offensive rebounds at 11.1. Oakland is also third in the league in blocked shots per game at 3.44 and seventh in assists per game at 12.13. Layla Gold leading the way in blocks at 1.2 per contest, good enough for second-best in the league, while Makenzie Luehring is fifth in the Horizon at 3.3 assists per contest.

After hosting Milwaukee on Saturday, the Grizzlies will make a quick return trip to Wisconsin. Oakland will visit Detroit Mercy at Calihan Hall on Jan. 18, before taking on Green Bay at the Kress Center on Jan. 22, and heading to the Klotsche Center for a return match against the Panthers on Jan. 24 at 2:00 p.m. (CT).

OAKLAND – PLAYERS TO WATCH
Angie Smith – 16 GP / 15 GS, 27.8 MPG, 10.5 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 31 AST, 16 STL
Makenzie Luehring – 16 GP / 14 GS, 27.7 MPG, 9.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 53 AST, 20 STL
Lianna Baxter – 16 GP / 16 GS, 30.0 MPG, 9.2 PPG, 4.66 RPG, 22 AST, 13 BLK
Layla Gold – 16 GP / 15 GS, 29.9 MPG, 9.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 19 AST, 19 BLK

UP NEXT
Milwaukee will wrap up its three-game road trip on Wednesday evening, when the Panthers visit the Northern Kentucky Norse at Truist Arena beginning at 5:00 p.m. (CT). The Panthers will return home to take on Green Bay on Jan. 17 at 1:00 p.m.

LAST MEETING
When Milwaukee and Oakland last met 11 months ago, the Panthers used a 20-9 second quarter to take a 38-23 halftime lead and was able to hold on for a 61-49 victory in Michigan. Jorey Buwalda led all starters with 10 points, while Payton Rechlicz provided four points and four rebounds off the bench among Panther returners.

Milwaukee ended the game shooting 44.0 percent and knocked down six threes, while the Golden Grizzlies were only able to convert on 31.6 percent of attempts including three threes. Macy Smith led Oakland with 18 points including all three of the team's threes, while Maddy Skorupski had a team-high seven rebounds and finished the game with 11 points.

ON THIS DATE
Milwaukee is 5-4 all-time on games played on Jan. 10, which includes a win in its most recent game, a 71-68 victory over Youngstown State during the 2018-19 season. The Panthers and Oakland have met once before on Jan. 10, an impressive 89-56 win by the Golden Grizzlies during the 2014-15 season.

In the win for Oakland 11 season ago, the Grizzlies were led by a pair of 23-points efforts by both Nola Anderson and Olivia Nash. Anderson finished the game 8-for-13 from the field and 5-for-9 from three, while Nash was 9-of-15 from the floor with a 2-for-6 effort from range. Elena Popkey cashed in four three pointers and ended the game with 16 points, while Sinclair Russell had a 15-point, 15-rebound effort in the win.

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 by the Panthers, a mark set in the team's first quarter at home against Ripon on Dec. 14.

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

MICHIGAN SWEEP?
Following Thursday's win against Detroit Mercy, the Panthers will look to sweep its annual trip to Michigan with a win over Oakland on Saturday. The last time the Panthers took both matchups from Detroit Mercy and Oakland came back during the 2021-22 season, when they defeated the Titans, 71-55, and the Golden Grizzlies, 57-41, in mid-February.

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 six more in 2025-26, recording them against Loyola Chicago, Valparaiso, Purdue Fort Wayne, Ripon, IU Indy and Detroit Mercy. 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 three thus far in 2025-26. Under Kyle Rechlicz, the Panthers have recorded at least 10 threes in a game 74 times.

MAGIC NUMBER
Since 2016-17, when Milwaukee shoots at least 40 percent from the field, it is 121-45 (.729). When shooting 43 percent or better, the Panthers improve to 104-25 (.806). 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 38.9 percent (173-445) in first halves, 41.1 percent (188-457) 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 12-33 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 5-31 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 sin-gle-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.