MILWAUKEE – It's 'School Day' at the Klotsche Center as Milwaukee hosts Northern Kentucky on Thursday morning, with tip time set for 11:00 a.m. The Panthers will welcome students and their teachers from schools throughout the Milwaukee metropolitan area.
 
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, Feb. 12 | Northern Kentucky at Milwaukee | Klotsche Center | Milwaukee, Wis. | 11:00 a.m. | ESPN+ / Live Stats | Tickets | Follow Along (on X)
 
QUICK NOTES
» Looking to shake off a pair of losses, Milwaukee returns home to take on Northern Kentucky on Thursday morning at 11:00 a.m. at the Klotsche Center.
» Thursday's game will be the annual 'School Day' contest, Milwaukee is 8-2 all-time in school day contests. Three of the 10 matchups have gone to overtime including last season against Oakland. This will be NKU's first time playing in Milwaukee's school day.
» The Panthers enter off a loss in overtime to Robert Morris in Moon Township, Pa., 71-64. In the effort, Grace Lomen scored a career-high 30 points, eclipsing her mark of 27 set earlier this season at Oakland.
» Milwaukee shot 37.7 percent in the loss while connecting on 37.5 percent from three. It was the fourth loss this season that the Panthers suffered when shooting better than 34 percent from beyond the arc.
» Northern Kentucky heads to Wisconsin to take on the Panthers after squeaking out a one-point win over Oakland on Feb. 3. The Norse led by five early in the fourth quarter, then found themselves trailing by four, NKU closed the game on a 6-1 run to escape with the victory.
» In the win, Karina Bystry led the Norse with 19 points, while Mya Meredith scored 18, and Maddie Moody scored 14. Abby Wolterman finished the game with nine points and nine rebounds as Northern Kentucky shot 45.8 percent in the win.
» This will be the second meeting of the season between Milwaukee and Northern Kentucky, who met in Highland Heights on Jan. 14. Northern Kentucky won the game, 63-55, building up a 48-34 lead after three quarters while holding off the Panthers, who outscored th Norse 21-15 in the fourth.
» Rita Gomes led Milwaukee with 11 points, while Sophia Rampulla scored 10. Northern Kentucky was led by Karina Bystry with 20 and 11-point efforts from Taysha Rushton and Mya Meredith.
» The win earlier this season gave NKU its third-straight over the Panthers and gave the Norse a 15-7 all-time series lead. With the scene shifting to Milwaukee on Thursday, NKU has a 7-4 record at the Klotsche Center.

QUICK LOOK AT NORTHERN KENTUCKY
The third-best scoring offense in the Horizon League, Northern Kentucky averages 68.2 points per game. However, the Norse has taken the second-most shot attempts this season at 1,507, just one behind Wright State, and are 11th in the 11-team league with a .386 field goal percentage.

NKU is towards the top of the league in rebounding a 38.2 per game and are the top offensive rebounding team at 12.6 per contest. Maddie Moody leads the team and is fifth in the Horizon League with 173 boards and an average of 6.9 per game this season.

The Norse are also among the conference and national leaders in free throws, as the team averages 14.48 free throw makes per game, 19.44 free throw attempts per game, while connecting on 74.5 percent from the stripe.

In terms of strength of schedule, Northern Kentucky has played the toughest schedule thus far, with an opponent winning percentage of .589. By comparison, the Panthers have played the seventh toughest schedule this year with an opponent winning percentage of .496.

NORTHERN KENTUCKY – PLAYERS TO WATCH
Karina Bystry – 25 GP / 25 GS, 29.3 MPG, 14.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 32 AST, 33 STL
Maddie Mody – 25 GP / 22 GS, 26.5 MPG, 10.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 18 STL, 18 BLK
Mya Meredith – 25 GP / 13 GS, 25.5 MPG, 9.5 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 48 AST, 37 STL
Taysha Rushton – 25 GP / 13 GS, 27.1 MPG, 8.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 52 AST, 19 STL

UP NEXT
After Thursday's home game, the Panthers head back on the road for its next two games. Milwaukee will visit Wright State on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 6:00 p.m. (CT), before paying a visit to Green Bay on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 1:00 p.m.

LAST MEETING
Earlier this season at Truist Arena, the Norse won their third-straight game over Milwaukee with a 63-55 win. Karina Bystry scored 20 points including 11 from the free throw line to pace Northern Kentucky. NKU built up a 21-11 lead after the opening quarter and led by 12 at halftime.

Milwaukee mounted a brief comeback in the fourth quarter, outscoring its host, 21-15. Rita Gomes led the Panthers with 11 points off the bench, while Sophia Rampulla scored 10, the duo combined for five of the team's eight three-pointers on the night.

ON THIS DATE
In 12 games played on Feb. 12, the Panthers are 6-6 in their games. This week's game will be their second-straight matchup against Northern Kentucky; however, the Panthers fell to the Norse, 81-71. Current NKU Director of Basketball Operations Lindsey Duvall led the way with 22 points for the Norse to go along with six rebounds. The Panthers are 1-5 in their last six games contested on Feb. 12.

SCHOOL DAY
Milwaukee welcomes Northern Kentucky to the Klotsche Center for 'School Day', where Milwaukee is 8-2 in its previous 10 'School Day' games. This will be the first time that Milwaukee will play Northern Kentucky on its school day, having played Oakland, Robert Morris, UIC, Youngstown State, Cleveland State, Detroit Mercy, and North Dakota in the past.

School Day at Milwaukee has gone to overtime three times, including last season's matchup against Oakland. The Panthers also played Youngstown State to overtime in January 2019, and Cleveland State in February 2016. This year's matchup will be the latest school day in Panther history, as the Cleveland State game in 2016 was contested on Feb. 11.

No stranger to school day games, the Norse have played in two already this season, defeating Toledo at home on Nov. 19, and playing at Cleveland State's and falling to the Vikings on Dec. 16.

30 POINTS FOR LOMEN
On Feb. 7, Grace Lomen scored 30 points in Milwaukee's overtime loss to Robert Morris. It was the 41st 30-point performance in Milwaukee program history and first since Anna Lutz scored 30 against Oakland on Jan. 16, 2025. The last time a Panther broke past the 30-point barrier was when Kendall Nead scored 38 points on Nov. 17, 2023, against host McNeese.

However, the last five times a Milwaukee player has ended a game with exactly 30 points, the Panthers have lost. Lomen at Robert Morris (Feb. 7, 2026), Anna Lutz vs. Oakland (Jan. 16, 2025), Megan Walstad at Cleveland State (Mar. 2, 2023), Steph Kostowicz at Northern Illinois (Nov. 16, 2016) and at Minnesota (Mar. 16, 2016). The last time Milwaukee had a player finish with 30 points exactly and win was Ashley Green on Feb. 28, 2015 vs. Cleveland State.

LOW ON THE O, STILL GOT THE WIN
Despite collecting a season-low four offensive rebounds, Milwaukee earned a 75-70 win over Wright State on Jan. 31. The last time the Panthers won a game with fewer than five offensive rebounds was Feb. 3, 2022, in a 68-48 home victory over Robert Morris.

BENCH TO THE RESCUE
Milwaukee leads the Horizon League and ranks among the top 50 nationally in bench scoring, averaging 24.8 points per game from its reserves. LSU leads the nation, averaging 41.1 bench points per contest through games played on Feb. 11.

TOPS IN THE LEAGUE
Through games played on Feb. 10, Jorey Buwalda enters the week as the Horizon League leader in double-doubles (eight), total rebounds (225), and rebounds per game (9.0).

She is ranks among the league's top 10 in free throws made (78), and percentage (.780), this season.

NORTH OF 500
Milwaukee had a season-best .520 from the field in its Jan. 22 win over Detroit Mercy. It marked the second time the Panthers have eclipsed the 50 percent mark this season, with the other coming against the Titans in Detroit on Jan. 8.

The Panthers have won nine consecutive games when shooting above 50 percent, dating back to the 2022-23 season. Their last loss under those circumstances came against Northern Kentucky on Feb. 12, 2023, despite shooting .518 (28-of-54).

NORTH OF 550
Milwaukee turned in an efficient performance from beyond the arc on Jan. 22 against Detroit Mercy, finishing 12-of-21 (57.1 percent) from three-point range.

It was the first time the Panthers shot better than 55 percent from deep since Feb. 8, 2024, against IUPUI (8-of-14, 57.1 percent). It also marked the first time Milwaukee hit more than 10 threes at that efficiency since a 14-of-24 (58.3 percent) effort at Youngstown State on Feb. 17, 2023.

Milwaukee is 4-0 in its last four games when shooting above 55 percent from three, with its most recently loss under those conditions coming at Minnesota on Nov. 14, 2019.

THREE WINS TO GO
With Milwaukee's Jan. 31 win over Wright State, head coach Kyle Rechlicz earned her 197th career victory since taking over the program prior to the 2012-13 season.

She is three wins shy of becoming just the third head coach in program history to reach the 200-win milestone, joining M.A. Kelling (284 wins, 1978-95), and Sandy Botham (245 wins, 1996-2012).

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

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

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 seven more during the 2025–26 season. Under Kyle Rechlicz, the Panthers have made at least 10 three-pointers in a game 78 times.

A DOZEN THREES IN CONSECUTIVE GAMES
Milwaukee knocked down 13 three-pointers on Dec. 10 at Purdue Fort Wayne and followed with 12 more on Dec. 14 against Ripon. It marked the first time the Panthers hit at least a dozen threes in consecutive games since February 2013.

The 25 combined three-pointers over the two-game stretch are the most since the 2012-13 season, when Milwaukee hit 11 at Toledo (Dec. 8), and 14 at DePaul (Dec. 11).

SEVEN THREES FOR LOMEN
Against Oakland on Jan. 24, Grace Lomen drained seven three-pointers, becoming just the ninth player in Milwaukee's Division I history to accomplish the feat. The last Panthers to do so was Sydney Levy during the 2019-20 season.

Lomen finished 7-of-8 from three, tying for the fifth-best single-game percentage in program history and the best-mark ever by a Panther with at least seven made threes (.875).

LOMEN & GOMES IN THE FOURTH
Grace Lomen knocked down four three-pointers in the fourth quarter against Oakland on Jan. 24, joining Rita Gomes as the only Panthers to record at least three fourth-quarter three this season. Gomes accomplished the feat against Northern Kentucky (Jan. 14), UC Davis (Nov. 29), and Butler (Nov. 23)

The last Panthers with at least three threes in any quarter prior to this season was Jada Donaldson on Feb. 13, 2025, at Detroit Mercy. The most recent fourth-quarter instance before this season came from Angie Cera on Jan. 26, 2024, against Wright State.

QUICK STARTS FROM DISTANCE
In Milwaukee's Jan. 8 win over Detroit Mercy, the Panthers connected on six three-pointers in the opening quarter, including three by Grace Lomen. It tied the season-high for threes in a quarter, first set against Ripon on Dec. 14.

Milwaukee has made at least five three-pointers in the first quarter four times season.

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 Nov. 16 win over Valparaiso on Nov. 16, Jorey Buwalda grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds, the most by a Panthers since Megan Walstad collected 16 against Robert Morris on Jan. 20, 2023. Buwalda matched the feat against Ripon on Dec. 14.

UC Davis' Megan Norris became the first opposing player to record 15 or more rebounds against Milwaukee since Nov. 13, 2022.

COMEBACK WINS
Milwaukee erased a 16-points first half deficit in its Jan. 4 win over Cleveland State, tying the fifth-largest comeback in program history.

The Panthers also overcame a 12-point halftime deficit, again tied for fifth all-time, and turned it into an eight-point victory, representing a 20-point swing. The program record for halftime turnarounds is 28.

MIXING & MATCHING
Milwaukee has used 10 different starting lineups thus far this season, while 12 of the 13 active players on the roster have made at least one start.

TRUE FRESHMAN STARTER IN SEASON OPENER
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, against Loyola Chicago.

MAGIC NUMBER
Since 2016–17, Milwaukee is 123–46 (.728) when shooting at least 40 percent from the field. When shooting 43 percent or better, the Panthers improve to 106–26 (.803). When shooting below 40 percent, Milwaukee is 27–109 (.199).

BALANCING THE FIRST AND SECOND HALVES
This season, Milwaukee is shooting 38.4 percent (259-of-675) in first halves, 41.1 percent (294-of-716) in second halves, and 23.1 percent (3-of-13) in overtime.

IN THE PAINT
Since the start of the 2023–24 season, Milwaukee is 26–21 when scoring more than 25 points in the paint and 6–38 when scoring fewer than 25.

KEEPING THE FOULS DOWN
Since the 2022–23 season, Milwaukee is 13–3 when committing 11 or fewer fouls. Conversely, the Panthers are 13–35 when committing 18 or more fouls.

CLOSE GAMES
During the 2024–25 season, Milwaukee went 3–14 in games decided by nine points or fewer. In 2025–26, the Panthers are 4–6 in games decided by single digits.

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).

IN OVERTIME
Last season, Milwaukee set a program record by appearing in four overtime games and now owns a 22–28 all-time record in games extending beyond regulation since joining Division I in 1990–91. Milwaukee is 1–1 in overtime so far in 2025–26.