MILWAUKEE – It's the final month of the regular season, and Milwaukee begins a stretch of four road games in five contests on Thursday evening at Youngstown State. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. (CT) at the Beeghly Center.
 
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, Feb. 5 | Milwaukee at Youngstown State | Beeghly Center | Youngstown, Ohio | 5:30 p.m. (CT) | ESPN+ / Live Stats | Follow Along (on X)
 
QUICK NOTES
» Milwaukee defeated Wright State on Saturday afternoon by a 75-70 score, outscoring the Raiders by five in the fourth quarter to win the game down the stretch.
» The Panthers finished Saturday's game shooting 49.1 percent overall and 52.2 percent from three, Madison Fitzgibbon connected on 4-of-6 from deep to lead the way from range, while finishing the game with 14 points. Jorey Buwalda led Milwaukee in scoring with 17 points and in rebounding with eight, while Grace Lomen was also in double figures for the Panthers against Wright State with 10 points and a career-best six assists.
» Hanging out towards the top of the league standings all season, Youngstown State enters the week tied for second in the league standings with Purdue Fort Waye as the Penguins and Mastodons have identical 9-4 marks in league play.
» YSU has won three straight heading into February, earning wins at home against Cleveland State, while sweeping a pair North of the Boarder in Michigan with wins over Detroit Mercy and more recently over Oakland.
» In Youngstown State's win over the Golden Grizzlies, the Penguins were led by four starters in double figures including a team-best 15 from Sophia Gregory. Casey Santoro scored 14 with a team-best eight rebounds and six assists, while Erica King scored 12 and Sarah Baker added 11.
» The Penguins have used the same lineup for all 23 of their games this season.
» YSU is looking for its seventh season series sweep of Milwaukee after winning in Wisconsin earlier this season, 68-56. It would be the Penguins' first sweep since the 2021-22 season, and sixth as Horizon League members.
» Milwaukee is 14-13 in games played at the Beeghly Center, with its last win coming on Feb. 17, 2023, behind 14 three-pointers including six from Angie Cera.

QUICK LOOK AT YOUNGSTOWN STATE
Despite a short roster, Youngstown State has thrived this season and finds itself tied for second place in the Horizon League entering a new week of action. The Penguins have used just one starting lineup this season, with four of five starters classified as either sophomores or redshirt freshmen.

The youthful Penguins were projected to finish third in the Horizon League preseason poll, earning one first-place vote, and have backed that up. The team boasts the top defensive unit in the league, allowing just 57.3 points per game and holding opponents to a 36.1 field goal percentage, a top-20 mark among all Division I programs.

Offensively, YSU is middle of the pack, ranking fifth in the league in scoring at 67.0 points per game. However, its defensive strength has helped the Penguins claim the third-best scoring margin in the Horizon League at +9.7.

At the Beeghly Center, Youngstown State owns a 7-3 record and has outscored opponents by 199 points, an average of +19.9 per home game. YSU shoots .436 at home while holding opponents to .321, and the Penguins average 2.1 more three-pointers per game at home than their opponents. Sophia Gregory is shooting .574 in home games this season, while Paulina Hernandez is connecting at a 54.3 percent clip at home.

YOUNGSTOWN STATE – PLAYERS TO WATCH
Casey Santoro – 23 GP / 23 GS, 34.8 MPG, 12.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 75 AST, 23 STL
Sarah Baker – 23 GP / 23 GS, 23.9 MPG, 11.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 32 AST, 15 BLK
Erica King – 23 GP / 23 GS, 31.5 MPG, 9.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 63 AST, 34 STL
Sophia Gregory – 23 GP / 23 GS, 26.3 MPG, 9.1 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 61 AST, 40 STL, 27 BLK

UP NEXT
Milwaukee concludes its eastern swing on Saturday afternoon at Robert Morris, tipping off at 1:00 p.m. (CT) at the UPMC Events Center in Moon Township, Pa. The Panthers' lone home game over its next five contests follows with an 11:00 a.m. matchup against Northern Kentucky on Feb. 12.

LAST MEETING
Milwaukee and Youngstown State met on Dec. 5 to open Horizon League play. The Penguins jumped out to a 14-4 first-quarter lead and went nearly point-for-point with Milwaukee the rest of the way, with identical 14-point second quarters and 22-point third quarters. YSU outscored MKE 18-16 in the fourth to secure the 12-point win.

Casey Santoro and Erica King led the way with 14 points apiece, as the duo were two of just three players to log more than 32 minutes. Paulina Hernandez posted a strong homecoming performance with eight points and three blocks, while Sophia Gregory and Sarah Baker added 11 points each.

Tierney Madigan paced Milwaukee with 17 points in the loss, while Jorey Buwalda scored 11 and Rita Gomes added 10. The Panthers shot 37.5 percent from the field, while the Penguins connected at a 51.0 percent clip.

ON THIS DATE
Milwaukee is 5-6 in games played on Feb. 5, including a 1-1 record in games against Youngstown State. During the 1993-94 season, the Panthers edged the Penguins 64-59 in Ohio, while in 2021-22, YSU completed the season sweep with a 60-56 win in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee won its most recent Feb. 5 contest with a 62-57 victory at Detroit Mercy during the 2022-23 season. Against Ohio opponents, on Feb. 5, the Panthers are 3-4.

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 25.5 points per game from its reserves. LSU leads the nation, averaging 41.9 bench points per contest through games played on Feb. 1.

TOPS IN THE LEAGUE
Jorey Buwalda enters the week of Feb. 2 as the Horizon League leader in double-doubles (eight), total rebounds (203), and rebounds per game (8.8).

She is ranks among the league's top 10 in free throws made (73), attempts (95), and percentage (.768), 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 27–107 (.201).

BALANCING THE FIRST AND SECOND HALVES
This season, Milwaukee is shooting 39.2 percent (241-of-615) in first halves, 41.5 percent (272-of-656) in second halves, and 33.3 percent (2-of-6) 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 6–36 when scoring fewer than 25.

KEEPING THE FOULS DOWN
Since the 2022–23 season, Milwaukee is 13–2 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 4–5 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 22–27 all-time record in games extending beyond regulation since joining Division I in 1990–91. Milwaukee is 1–0 in overtime so far in 2025–26.