It may have been a tough road trip, but the Milwaukee coaching staff was pleased with the way their team finished strong this weekend.
Two straight losses away from home only worsened the sting from the Panthers’ one-point loss to Northern Kentucky on February 10. Still, this is a team that has proven that they can scrap like their namesake.
The lead changed hands more than a few times during Milwaukee’s second contest of the season against the Norse before ending with the closest of scores, 67-66. NKU paid the Panthers back for a 75-67 defeat in early January by shooting 56% from the land of trey and sinking 11 of 12 foul shots in the narrow victory. It was a game of runs which saw the score sway over the course of the first half. After the Norse charged out to a 17-9 advantage after the 1st quarter, Milwaukee made the most of some hot shooting in the second quarter to make it a 32-29 NKU advantage at the half. Following a third period which saw the Panthers sink four triples and play to a 22-18 advantage, both teams traded baskets and then the lead over the final quarter. The opening and closing moments of action proved to be the deciding factor – and not, to hear their head coach tell it – to Milwaukee’s benefit.
“The first two minutes of the game and the last two minutes of the game were the exact same,” Panthers coach Kyle Rechlicz lamented after the game. “We had no intensity and no energy on the defensive side of the ball.” Milwaukee made just 9 of 31 (29.0%) field goals combined across the first and fourth quarters; cold shooting which cost them in the tight game. The Panthers held a +10 rebounding advantage overall and tracked down their misses to the tune of a 17-8 margin on the offensive glass, but Milwaukee ended up only +4 on second-chance points due to some key misses and turnovers.
“[Offensive rebounding] was a big emphasis for us but we didn’t turn them into points as much as we needed to,” Rechlicz added. “Northern Kentucky got eight offensive rebounds and 14 second-chance points, we got 17 and scored 10 points.” Anna Lutz paced the Panthers with 17 points and a trio of triples against the Norse, while Grace Crowley continued to chip in all over the floor with 12 points, nine rebounds, and five assists.
Things did not get any easier as the Panthers hit the road to face Cleveland State and Purdue-Fort Wayne: two of the top three teams in the Horizon League standings. Milwaukee kept things close in the first half against the Mastodons, especially with their 8/14 shooting from the floor in an exciting second quarter. At the half, the Dons led but it was a reasonable margin of 34-28. Unfortunately, though the Panthers got a quick turnover to start half number two, things quickly went against them as IPFW began to hit from the outside.
“We got the steal on the first possession of the third quarter that we turned over and they hit a three…that was deflating for us,” Rechlicz analyzed following the contest. “It was tough for us to bounce back from that.” By the end of the third quarter, the Mastodons had increased their lead to a 55-41 margin. For the game, IPFW hit a dozen triples at a 46.2% rate, while the Panthers – who at times this year have gotten hot from deep themselves – could make just 5 of their 19 triple tries.
“They’re hot right now,” Rechlicz concluded. “They hit nine three pointers in their last game and another 12 tonight. It was disappointing because we struggled with things that were in our control … communication throughout most of the game and [Purdue Fort Wayne] won the physical battle.” Junior Angie Cera was the only Milwaukee player to hit double figures in scoring, finishing with 16 points. Against Cleveland State the Panthers got off to a rough start, but they finished stronger than in the previous tilt. The Vikings got off to a quick lead and never looked back in earning their 23rd victory of the season, going up 16-9 after the first quarter and building a 38-21 advantage by the midway point of action.
“In the first half we looked rushed,” Rechlicz said postgame. “Give a lot of credit to Cleveland State, they’re extremely long in their zone and athletic…and we weren’t waiting for our offensive plays to develop and set up our screens.” Milwaukee committed nine turnovers and allowed CSU to shoot 57% as they fell behind during the first half. Cleveland State was within range, up 26-17 with four minutes left in the first half, but then a 19-4 Viking run which stretched into the first few minutes of the third quarter put things out of reach for the Panthers. Fortunately, though, MKE had a run of their own to show off which heartened their coach by game’s end.
“We slowed down in the second half,” Rechlicz pointed out. “That really provided us with a lot of opportunities to make their zone work harder. I was incredibly proud of how we played that second half.” Milwaukee finished the game on a 30-19 run over the final quarter-plus. Despite knocking down just six deep balls for the game, Milwaukee sank four of their nine tries in the final stanza. Kamy Peppler led the team with three makes from the land of trey and 11 points, while Cera, Kendall Nead, and Anna Lutz each tallied eight points. With the team’s strong finish in defeat working as motivation, the Panthers will look to get back above .500 at home this week.
The Panthers will play their final two games of the season at the Klotsche Center when Detroit Mercy and then Oakland visit on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. Milwaukee saw a four-win streak end in Detroit near the end of January in a tight 54-52 loss to the Titans, while the Panthers already own a victory over the Golden Grizzlies. With the fourth seed in March’s league tournament still up for grabs, Milwaukee will look to make a final push before the regular season ends.
