Milwaukee Athletics

EVANSTON, Ill. – Rita Gomes went 6-for-6 from three-point range and scored 19 points, but Northwestern put together a big fourth quarter and pull away to defeat Milwaukee in its season opener, 64-60.
 
The Wildcats trailed 46-43 after three quarters but outscored the Panthers 21-14 over the final 10 minutes to come out on top. Casey Harter and Lily Carmody combined for 18 points in the fourth quarter, finishing the game with 16 and 21 points, respectively, on the night.
 
Milwaukee was led by Gomes with 19, while Izzy Pugh added 11 and Tierney Madigan scored nine.
 
As a team, the Panthers shot 43.4 percent from the field and were able to convert on 64.3 percent from range. However, Milwaukee struggled from the free throw line, going just 5-of-13 on attempts.
 
"Our team battled on the road tonight and we are proud of the effort we gave," said head coach Kyle Rechlicz. "We have room to grow in a number of areas as we move through the non-conference slate, and that is why we scheduled a tough first 10 games."
 
Milwaukee opened the game with a 6-2 advantage, but Northwestern responded and gained a five-point lead at 15-10. The Panthers closed the first on an eight-point run, which extended to 11 consecutive points run as Gomes gave the team its largest lead of the night at 21-15 early in the second.
 
After Northwestern ended the Panther run with a three-pointer of its own, neither side took more than a one possession advantage. Milwaukee led 30-28 at halftime.
 
The third quarter featured four lead changes and two ties as the team's traded baskets, including three-pointers by Payton Rechlicz and Gomes.
 
Milwaukee's three-point lead after three quarters grew to six as Gomes connected from beyond the arc again. However, Northwestern responded with a 14-3 run midway through the quarter and led 59-54 with under two minutes remaining. Gomes knocked down two more three-pointers in the final 90 seconds, but the Panthers were unable to get the stops needed to complete the comeback.
 
"Rita really stepped up off the bench as a senior and hit some big shots for us," Rechlicz added. "We also found the hot hand in big moments, which is something we have been working on as a team."
 
"We are not satisfied with the loss and are ready to focus our attention on our next game at Saint Louis," Rechlicz concluded.
 
Milwaukee continues its season-opening road trip with a 7:00 p.m. tip Thursday evening at Saint Louis. Coverage of the game will be available on ESPN+.