MILWAUKEE – The March to Indianapolis begins in Milwaukee as the play-in round pits No. 10 Milwaukee against No. 11 Detroit Mercy. The Panthers and Titans will meet at the Klotsche Center for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off.

This will mark the second straight season Milwaukee and Detroit Mercy have met in postseason play, and the Panthers will be looking for their third win of the 2025-26 season against the Titans.

Monday evening's game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Matt Menzl and Chloe Marotta 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
Monday, Feb. 28 | No. 11 Detroit Mercy at No. 10 Milwaukee | Klotsche Center | Milwaukee, Wis. | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN+ / Live Stats | Tickets | Follow Along (on X)
 
QUICK NOTES
» Earning the 10 seed in the Horizon League Championship, the Milwaukee Panthers will host the Play-In game on Monday evening, taking on the 11 seed Detroit Mercy Titans at 7:00 p.m.
» The Panthers finished the regular season with an 8-23 overall record and a 4-16 mark in the Horizon League, while Detroit Mercy was 6-23 overall with an identical 4-16 league record.
» Milwaukee earned the tiebreaker over the Titans by sweeping the season series, the Panthers won at Detroit Mercy, 74-61, on Jan. 8, and earned a home victory on Jan. 22 by a 76-68 score.
» This will be the second consecutive season that Milwaukee and Detroit Mercy will meet in the Horizon League Championship, playing in the First Round last year under a different format, where the 11th seeded Panthers visited the sixth seeded Titans, with Detroit Mercy winning 73-62.
» Milwaukee enters the postseason on a seven-game losing streak, having lost all seven of its games in the month of February, including Saturday's overtime loss to IU Indy by an 80-77 score.
» In the loss, Sophia Rampulla scored a career-high 18 points in her return to the starting lineup, while the Panthers also got 17 points from Grace Lomen, 12 from Rita Gomes, and 10 from Jorey Buwalda. It was Milwaukee's first loss of the season when at least four players scored double figures.
» Detroit Mercy snapped a five-game losing streak on the last day of the regular season with a 70-69 home victory over Northern Kentucky.
» Against the Norse, Detroit Mercy was led by Jasmine Edwards with 24 points off the bench on 8-of-13 shooting. Aaliyah McQueen added 18 points and Kailee Davis scored 12 in the win.
» Milwaukee is 3-0 in their last three home postseason games, including wins over Robert Morris in 2022-23 (64-58), UIC in 2021-22 (55-46), and Youngstown State in 2020-21 (77-68).
» In 72 all-time meetings, Milwaukee owns a 40-32 record, while in postseason play, it's the Titans that have a 5-0 mark against the Panthers. However, four of those meetings came between 1997 and 2005.

POSTSEASON OUTLOOK
With the conclusion of the 2025-26 regular season, the 11-team Horizon League has shaken out with preseason favorite Green Bay (17-3) clinching the top spot in the standings. The Phoenix have suffered some recent setbacks having lost three of their last five, including a loss on Saturday at Purdue Fort Wayne.

Despite a short roster and shorter rotation, head coach Melissa Jackson and Youngstown State clinched the two seed with a 15-5 record. Cleveland State (13-7) was riddled with injuries but have gotten healthy at the right time and are riding a league-best six-game winning streak into the postseason.

Northern Kentucky (12-8), despite losing to Detroit Mercy in the regular season finale, clinched the fourth seed and Purdue Fort Wayne (12-8), with its win over Green Bay grabbed the fifth.

Robert Morris (11-9), projected second in the preseason poll, limped to the finish line dropping three of its last five to finish sixth and will head to Fort Wayne to open postseason play. IU Indy (9-11) finished seventh and will travel to Northern Kentucky, while Oakland (7-13) will visit Cleveland State and Wright State (6-14) heads to in-state foe Youngstown. The winner of Milwaukee (4-16) and Detroit Mercy (4-16) will head to Green Bay on Wednesday evening.

QUICK LOOK AT DETROIT MERCY
First-year head coach Kiefer Laffey started off Horizon League play with a bang, going 2-0 with wins over Cleveland State and IU Indy in early December. A win on February 7 at Oakland followed by the regular season finale victory at home against Northern Kentucky accounted for all four of Detroit's league wins this season.

Kailee Davis has been the lynchpin for the Titans in those wins, leading the way with 16 points per game while Jasmine Edwards is right behind at 15.5 followed by Aaliyah McQueen with 14 points per game in the team's wins.

Why didn't it work for Detroit Mercy against Milwaukee in its two losses? Davis was held to just one point per game against the Panthers. McQueen played just one game against Milwaukee at Calihan Hall, scoring 18 points. Averaging a double-double against the Panthers was Edwards, who tallied 12.5 points and 11 rebounds per game while playing 32.2 minutes per game.

Detroit's defense struggled against the Panther offense, as Milwaukee shot .520 (53-of-102) against the Titans this season, while connecting on 53.7 percent from range (22-of-41). The Panthers had their best shooting game of the season against the Titans at home on Jan. 26, connecting on 26-of-50, with 10-of-20 of those makes coming from three.

DETROIT MERCY – PLAYERS TO WATCH
Jasmine Edwards – 29 GP / 28 GS, 31.6 MPG, 11.5 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 36 AST, 33 STL, 10 BLK
Makayla Jackson – 27 GP / 23 GS, 27.5 MPG, 10.8 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 31 AST, 54 STL
Aaliyah McQueen – 19 GP / 13 GS, 27.8 MPG, 9.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 35 AST, 31 STL, 12 BLK
Nisea Burrell – 26 GP / 19 GS, 30.1 MPG, 7.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 51 AST, 27 STL
Myonna Hooper – 29 GP / 23 GS, 23.7 MPG, 6.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 47 AST, 18 STL

UP NEXT
The winner of the play-in game will face top-seeded Green Bay. The game will take place at the Kress Events Center on Wednesday, Mar. 4 at 7:00 p.m.

LAST MEETING
Milwaukee and Detroit Mercy last met at the Klotsche Center on January 26, with the Panthers coming out on top by a 76-68 score. Milwaukee started out the game with a strong 24-17 start but only led by two at halftime. The Panthers shot 52 percent for the game and 50 percent from three.

Jorey Buwalda led the way for Milwaukee with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Madison Fitzgibbon scored 15 points and Kendall Barnes chipped in with 12 off the bench. Makayla Jackson paced the Titans with 21 points, while Maya Anderson scored 14 off the bench including a 7-of-8 effort from the free throw line.

ON THIS DATE
Milwaukee is 5-4 in games played on Mar. 2, including a win over Green Bay in its last game on Mar. 2, 2024. The Panthers do have a loss to Detroit Mercy on Mar. 2, a 66-40 defeat to the Titans in Michigan.

THE TEN SPOT
The Panthers are in an unfamiliar position, entering postseason play as the 10th seed in the Horizon League Basketball Championship. Milwaukee has never been the 10 seed before this season and are an eighth or higher seed for just the fifth time in program history, dating back to 1995.

YOU, AGAIN?
This is the second-straight season that Milwaukee will play Detroit Mercy in postseason play and the sixth time overall. The Panthers and Titans have always met in consecutive seasons in the postseason, doing so in 1997 and 1998, 2004 and 2005, and now 2025 and 2026.

THREE-PEAT
Milwaukee is looking to do something that it has not accomplished since the 2022-23 season and that is to defeat an opponent three times in a single season. The Panthers defeated Robert Morris three times that year, twice during the regular season and once in postseason play.

Milwaukee also won three games in a season against UIC in 2021-22, Wright State in 2015-16, Youngstown State in 2008-09, Valparaiso in 2007-08, Loyola Chicago and UIC in 2005-06, and UIC again in 2003-04 since joining the Horizon League

CAREER DAY FOR RAMPULLA
In Milwaukee's regular season finale against IU Indy, Sophia Rampulla went off for a career-best 18 points, making the most of her opportunity to return to the starting lineup. Rampulla had not started a game since the Nov. 13 matchup against Western Michigan. She also had career-bests in field goals made (6) and attempted (11), while she tied her career-best with five makes from the charity stripe.

FOUR SCORE AND…A LOSS
During the regular season finale against IU Indy on Feb. 28, Milwaukee had four players score in double figures with Sophia Rampulla (18), Grace Lomen (17), Rita Gomes (12), and Jorey Buwalda (10). It was just the third time it had happened all season, but the first time it resulted in a loss for the Panthers.

MIXING & MATCHING
With Sophia Rampulla returning to the starting lineup for Milwaukee on Feb. 28 versus IU Indy, Milwaukee has now used 11 different starting lineup combinations this season. Tennessee has used the most starting lineup combinations this season with 18, followed by Utah State with 17.

In addition to the lineup combinations, Milwaukee has seen 12 of the 13 active players on its roster start at least one game this season. That number is seventh most, behind national leader Alcorn State with 14 different players to start a game, while four teams have used 13 different starters including Chicago State, Grand Canyon, Morgan State, and Virginia Commonwealth.

BENCH TO THE RESCUE
Milwaukee leads the Horizon League and ranks among the top 35 nationally in bench scoring, averaging 25.0 points per game from its reserves. LSU leads the nation, averaging 39.6 bench points per contest through games played on Feb. 27.

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 1–2 in overtime so far in 2025–26.

MAGIC NUMBER
Since 2016–17, Milwaukee is 123–47 (.724) when shooting at least 40 percent from the field. When shooting 43 percent or better, the Panthers improve to 106–27 (.797). When shooting below 40 percent, Milwaukee is 27–112 (.194).

FIRST VS. SECOND HALVES
This season, Milwaukee is shooting 37.8 percent (304-of-805) in first halves, 41.3 percent (352-of-853) in second halves, and 30.0 percent (6-of-20) in overtime.

IN THE PAINT
Since the start of the 2023–24 season, Milwaukee is 26–23 when scoring more than 25 points in the paint and 6–41 when scoring fewer than 25.

KEEPING THE FOULS DOWN
Since the 2022–23 season, Milwaukee is 13–4 when committing 11 or fewer fouls. Conversely, the Panthers are 13–39 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 4–8 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).

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 10 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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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-point 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.

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.