Saturday, February 26, 2011

Postgame Extra – Milwaukee at Youngstown State

Game #30 – Milwaukee 94, Youngstown State 87 (OT)

Player of the Game - He’s been quiet much of the second half of the season, but Ja’Rob McCallum came through in a big way Saturday afternoon at the Beeghly Center. He made a collegiate-best seven three-pointers, including three in a row during a stretch late in the first half, and wound up with 23 points. His three on the first possession of overtime put Milwaukee ahead for good.

Turning Point - Kaylon Williams has made big-time plays all season for Milwaukee, and he did it again Saturday. With the teams trading empty overtime possessions and UWM clinging to an 85-82 lead, Williams buried a three from the wing that extended the lead to six with under two minutes to play. YSU would never get closer.

Stat That Mattered - UWM returned to double-digits in three-pointers made Saturday, knocking home 13 while shooting better than 40 percent from beyond the arc. The 13 are the third-most in a game this season, with the Panthers having made 16 at Detroit and 14 at South Dakota State.

The Notebook - UWM’s regular season title is its fourth in the Horizon League and second under Rob Jeter … Milwaukee will host the semifinals of the Horizon League Tournament at the U.S. Cellular Arena for the fourth time … this was the 14th regular season or postseason championship for UWM in 115 years of basketball at the school … Milwaukee’s nine-straight regular season league wins are the most for the Panthers since they won 10-straight to open the 2003-04 season … this was UWM’s eighth true road win of the season … the Panthers have also won five-straight league games away from home … UWM is 24-5 all-time against Youngstown State … the Panthers have won four-straight overtime games, including three on the road this season … Rob Jeter’s collected his 100th career win Saturday, becoming just the fourth coach in school history to tally 100 or more wins … the Panthers are now 8-0 when scoring 80 or more points … Anthony Hill scored 20 or more points for the fifth time this season, equaling Tony Meier for the team lead … Meier averaged 23 points per game on the road trip … Tone Boyle has now been in double figures in nine of the last 10 games … Kaylon Williams had five or more assists for the 20th time this year … the Panthers had two players score 20 points in the same game for the first time since Jan. 3 against Butler, while Milwaukee landed five players in double figures for the first time since a Jan. 1 win at Detroit.

Up Next - UWM gets a week to rest before playing an opponent to be determined in a 7:30 p.m. Horizon League Tournament semifinal game Saturday at the U.S. Cellular Arena.

Post-Game Wrap-Up: Milwaukee vs. Valparaiso

Post-Game Wrap-Up: Milwaukee vs. Valparaiso
Game #27 –Milwaukee 70, Valparaiso 69

Full game recap and stats here



Player of the Game - Lindsay Laur. Laur was not selected for her shooting. She was selected because she scored seven of UWM’s last 9 points down the stretch despite playing with 4 fouls. Her last basket was a game-winning layup at 4.9 seconds to send UWM to victory.

Turning Point - 1:54/Second Half. Valpo retook a 6-point lead at 67-61. Laur then scored five-straight points to make it a 1-point game and Courtney Lindfors put UWM over the top with 2 free throws. Valpo hit a shot, then Laur got the game-winning basket.

Stat That Mattered - 8 turnovers. In a 1-point game, turning the ball over just 8 times is key.

The Notebook - All five Panther seniors got the start for Senior Day … For the first time this season, Angela Rodriguez was not in the starting lineup … Milwaukee wore its special pink jerseys for the third-straight game … Anne Breland attempted free throws for the first time since Toledo Dec. 19. She made 4 in the game and is 12-for-12 this season, 24-for-24 in Panther career … with 7 threes, Rashida Ray tied the UWM opponent record for threes in a game … Valpo set a UWM opponent record by hitting 68.8 percent from three-point range (Old Record: .632) … Lindsay Laur passed Erica Young for third in UWM’s Division I history with 758 career rebounds … she scored in double-figures for the 16th-straight game and the 26th time this season … Breland scored in double-figures for the fifth-straight game … Angela Rodriguez moved up to third in school history with 81 assists as a freshman … UWM tied school records with just 8 turnovers and just 16 combined turnovers … Milwaukee is 7-2 this season with 4+ players score in double-figures … it’s 11-4 on Senior Day under head coach Sandy Botham and 13-8 since moving to Division I … the Panthers increased their three-point shooting percentage for the ninth-straight game.

Up Next - The Panthers close out the regular season on the road, heading to Detroit and Wright State this week. UWM tips off with the Titans at 6 p.m. central time on Thursday at Calihan Hall.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Live Blog - Milwaukee at Youngstown State

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Postgame Extra – Milwaukee at Cleveland State

Game #29 – Milwaukee 87, Cleveland State 83

Player of the Game - Tony Meier was simply spectacular Thursday night. He scored a collegiate-best 28 points, making 9-of-14 from the field overall, including 4-8 on three-pointers. He also hit the free throw that finally clinched the win for Milwaukee. Plus, Meier added eight rebounds in 33 minutes.

Turning Point - Milwaukee needed all of the points it scored in its great start. The Panthers jumped to leads of 24-11, 30-15 and 34-17 in the first half. So, even though Milwaukee had to hang on late, it was the first 10 minutes of the game that won the evening for the Panthers.

Stat That Mattered - UWM was efficient on offense when it didn’t turn it over, making 27-of-47 from the floor for a 57.4 percent shooting clip. But perhaps just as important was that, while Milwaukee had 15 turnovers, none came in the final 4:30 of the game.

The Notebook - UWM has now won eight-straight league games, its longest regular season league winning streak since 2003-04 … the Panthers have also won four-straight league road games and are 5-3 on the road in the league this season … Milwaukee is one win away from its fourth Horizon League regular season title, having previously won them in 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 … Rob Jeter collected his 99th career win … UWM is now 7-2 in games decided by five points or less this season … the Panthers are 12-1 when leading at the half …they are also 12-1 when shooting at least 45 percent from the field … Tony Meier’s 28 points marked a collegiate-high … it was Meier’s fifth 20-point performance of the season … Anthony Hill scored 16 points while playing just 17 minutes because of foul trouble … he actually fouled out with over five minutes remaining in the game … Ryan Allen returned to the rotation after missing the Buffalo game because of injury … his seven rebounds were a collegiate high … Kaylon Williams now has 159 assists this season, 30 away from the single-season school record.

Up Next - UWM wraps up the regular season Saturday afternoon at Youngstown State.

Post-Game Wrap-Up: Milwaukee vs. Butler

Post-Game Wrap-Up: Milwaukee vs. Butler
Game #26 –Milwaukee 73, Butler 66

Full game recap and stats here

Player of the Game - Anne Breland. Breland finished with 14 points to score in double-figures for the fourth-straight game and hit a number of key three-pointers for the Panthers. She also tied a career-high with 6 rebounds.

Turning Point - 0:30/Second Half. Lindsay Laur finished a lay-up off a nice give-and-go with Courtney Lindfors. She was fouled and converted the free throw to take, what was a 66-64 advantage, and turn it into a 69-64 lead and effectively ice the game.

Stat That Mattered - Free Throw Shooting. Milwaukee was a perfect 17-for-17 at the free throw line, while Butler went 15-for-22.

The Notebook - UWM’s 17 made free throws are the second-most in a game without a miss in school history (School Record: 26) … Laur tied Jessica Wilhite for third in school history with her 73rd career double-digit scoring game … she also has 749 rebounds, just two back of Erica Young for third in the team’s Division I era … Rodriguez has now made 100 field goals, third-most by a freshman in school history … Laur’s 20-point game was her 14th of the game, tied for third in school history for a single season … she has reached 10 points in 16-straight games, tied for fourth-most … Milwaukee is now 10-7 when outrebounding its opponent, compared to 0-9 when being outrebounded … this was the first time the Panthers have been tied at halftime this season … Sami Tucker is now 8-for-8 this season in three-point play opportunities (fouls on made baskets) … UWM shot better than .375 from three-point range for the eighth-straight game, including seven times at 40 percent or better … the Panthers are averaging 8 made three’s per game in that time … Milwaukee was perfect at the free throw line for the second time this season … the Panthers took the 19-18 series lead in all-time meetings with Butler ... UWM wore special pink uniforms for the second-straight game.

Up Next - Milwaukee closes out its regular season home schedule Saturday, hosting Valparaiso at the Klotsche Center. The Panthers and Crusaders tip off at 2 p.m. on Senior Day. Five UWM seniors will be honored before the game.

Live Blog: Milwaukee vs. Butler

Live Blog - Milwaukee at Cleveland State

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Postgame Extra – Milwaukee at Buffalo

Game #28 – Buffalo 80, Milwaukee 65

Player of the Game - If we were picking for either team, Zach Filzen would be the runaway winner after his collegiate-high 30 points. But, on the Milwaukee side, Anthony Hill was hard to stop, scoring 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field.

Turning Point - UWM was on the ropes much of the first half but looked like it might get to the locker room in good shape. But, Filzen hit a pair of threes sandwiched around a basket by Javon McCrea and Buffalo turned a three-point lead into a nine-point halftime edge. The Panthers were fighting uphill from that point forward.

Stat That Mattered - Buffalo’s hot shooting started and never stopped. The Bulls shot 56 percent in the first half and upped that to 62.5 percent in the second half. Zach Filzen took 15 shots and missed just four all night.

The Notebook - Buffalo has now won all four meetings with Milwaukee … the Bulls will play a return game at UWM in one of the next two seasons … the loss snapped a seven-game Panther winning streak, but UWM has still won seven-straight league games … Milwaukee also had a three-game road winning streak snapped … the Panthers are now 1-8 in BracketBuster games … this was the sixth time this season a Panther opponent has shot better than 50 percent from the field … UWM reached double figures in offensive rebounds for the 19th time this year … Kaylon Williams now has 150 assists this season … Tone Boyle has been in double figures in seven of his last eight games … Ja’Rob McCallum’s 15-point effort marked just the second time in the last 14 games where he has reached double figures … Ryan Allen did not dress for the game after his hard fall during the second half of Wednesday’s win over Valparaiso … Lonnie Boga did play for the first time in three weeks, appearing for 14 minutes.

Up Next - UWM heads to the final weekend of Horizon League action, playing at Cleveland State Thursday and Youngstown State Saturday.

Post-Game Wrap-Up: Milwaukee vs. #14 Green Bay

Post-Game Wrap-Up: Milwaukee vs. #14/17 Green Bay
Game #25 –Green Bay 77, Milwaukee 59

Full game recap and stats here

Player of the Game - Lindsay Laur. Laur led the Panthers with 17 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists before fouling out.

Turning Point - 11:27/second half. Green Bay went on a 16-5 run to turn a 6-point edge into a 17-point lead. Milwaukee was able to hang close until that point

Stat That Mattered - 23 TO’s. Turnovers continue to undermine the Panthers’ offense. The 23 turnovers negated the team shooting better than 50 percent for most of the day.

The Notebook - Laur reached double-digits in scoring for the 15th-straight game and the 72nd time in her career … her streak is fifth in school history, while she is now in sole possession of fourth … Angela Rodriguez has made 97 field goals this season, fourth-most in school history for a freshman … she is also up to 50 threes, second-most … with her 25th start of the season, she is up to fifth for starts … Courtney Lindfors moved up to third among Panther freshmen with 84 made free throws … UWM shot 52.2 percent at the free throw line, its worst of the season … Milwaukee has outrebounded 12 of its last 13 opponents … in a continuing odd statistical quirk, the Panthers are 0-9 when exactly 3 players score 10+ points, but 5-2 when more than 3 do and 4-4 when just 2 are in double-figures … UWM had 0 bench points for the first time since Feb. 6, 2010 at Detroit … Panther reserves, who had scored 10+ points in each of the last 10 games, were a combined 0-for-1 from the field.

Up Next - The Panthers return to action next week, hosting Butler Thursday at the Klotsche Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Live Blog: Milwaukee vs. #14/17 Green Bay

Live Blog - Milwaukee at Buffalo

Friday, February 18, 2011

Live Blog: UWM Panther Tune-Up

This is the first-ever Milwaukee track and field live blog. Follow along and follow history!

Field events start at 4 p.m. and track events follow at approximately 6:30 p.m. Check the live blog for results and notable times.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Postgame Extra – Valparaiso at Milwaukee

Game #27 – Milwaukee 79, Valparaiso 76

Player of the Game - Tone Boyle had a Senior Night to remember. He collected a collegiate-best 28 points, making 10-of-17 from the field overall and 5-of-10 from three-point range. And, in the end, it was him drawing a pair of defenders that allowed Tony Meier to get free for the game-winner.

Turning Point - Brandon Wood hit a three from the corner to tie the game with a minute left and it looked like Valpo was putting itself in position to pull out a key road win. But, out of a timeout, the Panthers ran Tone Boyle off a curl at the top of the key. Two defenders were drawn to Boyle, leaving Anthony Hill to find a cutting Tony Meier for a layup and foul that pushed Milwaukee back up by three. The Panthers hung on from there to remain alive in the chase for the Horizon League title.

Stat That Mattered - The Panthers turned around the shooting numbers in the second half. After allowing Valpo to shoot 60.7 percent from the floor in the first half, UWM limited the Crusaders to just 44.4 percent shooting in the second 20 minutes. Meanwhile, after shooting just 41.2 percent from the floor in the first half, the Panthers made 14 of their 20 shots in the second half.

The Notebook - Milwaukee has now won seven-straight games, its longest winning streak since the 2004-05 season … Boyle’s 28 points set a new collegiate-high, besting his 27 from the Niagara game in November … Boyle has been in double figures in six of his last seven games since being held scoreless in the first meeting with Valpo … Anthony Hill had 18 points and 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season … the Panthers hit 10 three-pointers … UWM came back from a halftime deficit for the fifth time this season … the Panthers actually trailed by 10 points in the second half, marking the second time in this winning streak where Milwaukee has overcome a double-digit second-half deficit … UWM is now 6-2 this season in games decided by five points or less ... Kaylon Williams injured his shoulder late in the first half and did not start the second half. He eventually returned and played much of the rest of the way ... Ryan Allen was fouled extremely hard on a drive to the basket and fell to the floor. He did not return.

Up Next - UWM heads back outside of league play for a Saturday BracketBusters contest at Buffalo.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Live Blog: Milwaukee vs. Valparaiso

Join Assistant SID Chris Zills for tonight's big matchup against Valparaiso!
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

I Voted: Milwaukee Baseball 20th Anniversary Team

Here at UWM, we like to vote. In the last two years, we've had our 25th Anniversary for Women's Soccer and All-Decade teams for both men's and women's basketball. And, today, we posted a ballot to vote for the 20th Anniversary Baseball Team (Vote here).

Now, we've had baseball for more than 20 years, but this encompasses the 20 years of Division I baseball. I was a student from 2000-03 and didn't miss a home game, came back after graduating from UWM and was the baseball contact for 2005. So, I have seen the bulk of these players and was eager to vote.

Without further ado, here is one man's ballot for the 20th Anniversary Team:
- Catcher: John Vanden Berg
- First Base: Chad Sadowski
- Second Base: Scott Gillitzer
- Third Base: Ben Stanczyk
- Shortstop: Matt Houk
- Outfield: Mike Goetz, Darin Haugom and Joe Nowicki
- DH: Zak Rivera
- Utility: Charlie Reschke
- Starting Pitchers: Quintin Oldenburg and Ben Stanczyk
- Relief Pitchers: Matt Freisleben and Jed Dolske

Notes: Sadowski is the only player nominated that is in the UWM Athletics Hall of Fame (2011) ... I voted for a lot of guys from the 2001 team. That team was awesome. They scored a ton of runs and were never out of games. Against UCSB in the NCAA Tournament, they were down 12-4 and tied the game ... I picked Stanczyk for both hitter and pitcher. He is the only player in league history named Pitcher and Player of the Year in the same season (probably their career) ... Houk is the only player in school history to later serve as head coach of a Division I women's volleyball team (South Dakota) ... I almost voted for Steve Guden for his performance in "Mr. 3000", but couldn't not vote for Reschke, one of our former student workers ... Rivera is another former student worker (Apologies to Aaron Sorenson, another hard worker) ... Freisleben remains one of my favorite players. He was a submarine pitcher and a nice guy.

There you have it. One guy's opinion. Now, be sure to go and vote for yourself... the less people who vote, the more my vote matters. That site again is here.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Post-Game Wrap-Up: Milwaukee @ UIC

Post-Game Wrap-Up: Milwaukee @ UIC
Game #24 –UIC 77, Milwaukee 65

Full game recap and stats here

Player of the Game - Angela Rodriguez. With starting point guard Sammy Theut under the weather and limited to just four minutes, A-Rod took the reins of the offense. She picked up a career-best 10 assists to go with 12 points for her first collegiate double-double. It was also the program’s first points-assist double-double since 1997.

Turning Point - 16:02/second half. Rodriguez had just put UWM ahead, 40-39, with two free throws. At this point, Taylor Foulks hit the first of 2 three’s during a 10-2 run that pushed UIC ahead for good.

Stat That Mattered - 19-9 TO’s. Milwaukee committed 10 more turnovers than UIC and the Flames outscored UWM, 19-6, on points off turnovers.

The Notebook - Rodriguez is the first Panther with 10 assists in a game since Markita Barnes had 10 Jan. 17, 2009 … her points-assist double-double is UWM’s first since Jen Greger March 1, 1997 (16/10) … Lindsay Laur surpassed Daryl Schaffeld for eighth in school history with 1,312 career points … the double-double was her league-leading 11th of the season and her fourth of 20/15 this season – a school record … Laur’s school-record free throw streak ended at 49-straight in the first half … Rodriguez played all 40 minutes for the fourth time this season … in a statistical quirk, UWM is now 0-8 when exactly 3 players reach double-figures this season … the Panther are 5-2 when 4+ do and 4-4 when two do … Laur played in her 116th career game, second in school history (Traci Edwards, 125) … Rodriguez now has 49 made three-pointers this season, tied for second-most in school history for a freshman … Laur scored in double-figures for the 71st time in her career, fourth-most in school history … she has had 10-or-more points in a game 15-straight times out, the fifth-longest streak in school history … the last time UWM had two players with double-doubles in the same game was Feb. 18, 2010.

Up Next - Milwaukee returns to the Klotsche Center to start a three-game homestand, its final of the season, Saturday. The Panthers take on Green Bay at 2 p.m. The game will be televised live on Time Warner Sports 32.

Postgame Extra – Milwaukee at UIC

Game #26 – Milwaukee 70, UIC 59

Player of the Game - Anthony Hill and Kaylon Williams have to share the honors today. Hill collected a collegiate-best 32 points, while Williams had 14 assists and 12 rebounds. Hill’s 32 went just past the 30 he had against Youngstown State in December. Meanwhle, Williams’ 14 assists tied the all-time UWM record, matching the 14 Kerry Glover had in 1982. It is a Division I school record, besting the 13 Marc Mitchell had twice.

Turning Point - Once again the start by the Panthers told the story, as UWM bolted to a 15-4 lead and never trailed. Tony Meier also once again hit two key shots to maintain things in the second half. After UIC had pulled to within 44-37, Meier hit a pair of threes over the next two minutes to restore a 14-point advantage.

Stat That Mattered - Thanks in large part to Hill’s 32 points, the Panthers held a 40-18 edge on points in the paint.

The Notebook - Milwaukee has now won six-straight games, the Panthers’ first six-game winning streak since the 2007-08 season … all six have been league games, marking the first six-game league winning streak since the 2004-05 campaign … UWM won its sixth true road game of the season after winning seven last season … the Panthers swept their two games in Chicago for the third-straight season … Milwaukee has now won seven-straight over UIC … UIC shot just 38.2 percent from the field, the third-straight time UWM has held its opponent under 40 percent from the field … Anthony Hill has reached double figures in nine of his last 11 games while Tony Meier has been in double digits in 10 of his last 14 games … Lonnie Boga missed his second-straight game with an ankle injury. He has now missed five games over the last month because of his ankle.

Up Next - UWM returns to the U.S. Cellular Arena for its final regular season home game as Valparaiso visits Milwaukee Wednesday night.

Live Blog - Milwaukee at UIC

Friday, February 11, 2011

Live Blog: Milwaukee @ UIC

FEBRUARY 12, 2011

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Postgame Extra – Milwaukee at Loyola

Game #25 – Milwaukee 66, Loyola 57

Player of the Game - Kaylon Williams put together another stellar all-around game in Thursday’s win. He had eight assists, 10 rebounds and five points in 38 minutes. He also got full credit from head coach Rob Jeter for controlling both ends of the floor in the Panthers’ victory.

Turning Point - In the end, the Panthers won the game in the first five minutes, bolting to a 16-2 advantage. If there was one big play that seemed to stand out after that, it was Tony Meier’s three with 9:30 remaining that restored a double-digit advantage.

Stat That Mattered - UWM forced 15 turnovers and scored 22 points off those turnovers. The defense also held Loyola to just 33.3 percent shooting, a season low for a Panther opponent.

The Notebook - Anthony Hill picked up his second foul with 17:11 left in the first half and sat the rest of the way … Hill then was limited in the second half by fouls and wound up playing just 13 minutes … he still scored nine points ... with Hill in foul trouble, Christian Wolf and Mitchell Carter played nine minutes apiece … Kaylon Williams reached double figures in rebounds for the third time this season … his eight assists marked the second-most this season … UWM has now won a season-best five-straight games … the Panthers have also won three-straight at Loyola … Milwaukee reached double figures in offensive rebounds for the fourth-straight game.

Up Next - UWM continues its weekend road swing to Chicago with a Saturday afternoon contest at UIC.

Post-Game Wrap-Up: Milwaukee @ Loyola

Post-Game Wrap-Up: Milwaukee @ Loyola
Game #23 –Loyola 89, Milwaukee 74

Full game recap and stats here

Player of the Game - Lindsay Laur. Laur had 25 points and 12 rebounds. She got to the free throw line 10 times in the second half, making all 10.

Turning Point - 5:11 to play. 20 seconds after Angela Rodriguez hit a three to make it an 8-point game. Monica Albano answered with one of her four 3s to make it an 11-point game. UWM would get no closer.

Stat That Mattered - 53.2 percent shooting for Loyola. The Ramblers shot better than 50 percent for nearly the entire game, including a 58.8 percent clip in the first half. They shot hot and the Panthers did not have an answer.

The Notebook - Laur (10-for-10) and Milwaukee (12-for-12) tied school records for free throw percentage in a game … Laur played in her 115th career game, tied with Maria Viall for second in school history … Laur pushed her school record to 46-straight made free throws … Sami Tucker had 10+ rebounds in a game for the second-straight game and the fourth time in her career … Milwaukee is now 32-10 all-time vs. Loyola … Alex Klawitter had a career-high 4 assists … Ashley Imperiale surpassed the 500-point mark for her career (503) … this was just UWM’s second loss with four players in double-figures this season (5-2).

Up Next - The Panthers return to Chicago Saturday, taking on UIC at the UIC Pavilion. UWM and the Flames tip off at 5:30 p.m.

Live Blog - Milwaukee at Loyola

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Live Blog: Milwaukee @ Loyola

FEBRUARY 10, 2011

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Milwaukee is the "Team to Beat"

CollegeBaseballInsider.com is starting to reveal their league previews in anticipation of the 2011 college baseball season that is right around the corner.

The website posted its Horizon League preview today.
Click HERE to be taken to the full preview.

In it, the Panthers are labeled the "Team to Beat", while head coach Scott Doffek is also called the "Best Game Coach".

Milwaukee opens the 2011 campaign with a three-game series at Tennessee. The season opener is set for Feb. 18 with a first pitch of 3 p.m.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Danielle Wenger Featured In Hometown Newspaper


Danielle Wenger, a senior on the UWM women's swimming team, is the subject of a feature story in the West Bend Daily News. The full story, written by Nick Dettmann, the sports editor, appears below:




COLLEGE SWIMMING: UW-MILWAUKEE’S AND HARTFORD UNION GRAD DANIELLE WENGER
Potential realized
Wenger’s time is growing short and that scares her

By NICK DETTMANN Daily News Sports Editor

MILWAUKEE — She believed that if she was in contention in the final 75 yards, she would pull it off.

She pushed herself for the next 50. She fought in the final 25. She touched the wall a Horizon League champion, beating a three-time champion in the process.

At that moment, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee senior and Hartford Union graduate Danielle Wenger, a freshman at the time, discovered she had a bright future in swimming. It was a future which ultimately gave her the life she knows today.

It helped saved her life, too.

"When I started (swimming), it was the last sport I hadn’t tried,” she said.

Wenger was honored, along with eight other UWM swimmers, during Saturday’s dual meet against Western Illinois. The UWM men’s team swept each of the 16 events for a 211-62 victory, while the UWM women’s team did the same for a 205-59 victory at the Klotsche Natatorium on the UWM campus.

Unfortunately, Wenger had to watch her final home swim meet at UWM on the pool deck in a black tank top and yellow shorts. She’s battled a back injury for most of the season, which has caused her senior season to be more frustrating than enjoyable.

“It’s been hard,” she said. “And knowing that I’m going to be done soon is hard. I’m not ready to be done. I love it too much.

“It’s hard because I want to go out with a bang.”

At the same time, it’s given her time to reflect on a historic career at UWM. She’s one of the most decorated swimmers in UWM history.

She holds 10 school and three Horizon League records, is a seven-time Horizon League champion, a U.S. Nationals qualifier, an All-American, 2010 Horizon League Swimmer of the Meet and is a two-time Horizon League Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Year.

Wow.

“Every year I’ve surprised myself,” Wenger said. “It’s been really fun. I wish I had another 10 years to do it.”

She certainly had to deal with her bumps in the road, though, before reaching this point.

Her life in the pool began when she was 13. Her mom was her first coach.

She gave swimming a shot because after trying out basketball, T-ball, gymnastics, soccer and track & field, she learned she’s uncoordinated on land.

In high school for the Orioles, Wenger wasn’t a highly decorated swimmer, at least in her mind she wasn’t.

She was a four-year letterwinner at Hartford. She was all-state as a senior in the 500-yard freestyle and was all-state honorable mention as a junior in the 200 and 500 frees. She holds the school records in both events.

But during her junior year of high school, she underwent a dramatic change in her life: her parents’ divorce.

Swimming saved her life. It was her escape from the rough days at home. However, she never felt like the world was caving in on her. If it did, she jumped into the pool and swam extra laps.

“Every day, my coach would let me swim through the frustration,” Wenger said. “The stress at home became my motivation at school and now I’ve trained myself to swim through anything.

“Swimming’s been like my therapy now. Swimming’s been good for me. Swimming was the one thing that made sense to me. It’s what kept me going. I feel like swimming kind of saved me.”

There was a time UWM passed on Wenger.

It took a random club meet in January of her senior year to change the UWM coaching staff’s mind. She broke personal bests in all of her events during the competition.

The Panthers’ coaches took another look and offered a scholarship. Wenger gladly accepted.

“I came here because the coaches told me I had a lot of potential,” she recalled. “At that time, I had no idea how far I would make it, what my goals were, I just wanted to do the best I could.”

Wenger didn’t realize her full potential until late February 2008 at the Horizon League Championships in Cleveland.

It was the biggest meet of her life up to this point. Nervous? No. Terrified? Yes.

“I remember, I walked up to my coach and I asked him, ‘What should I do, coach?’” she recalled. “He said, ‘Don’t think. Turn off your brain and just go.’”

Wenger beat Wright State’s Catalina Martinez in the 1,000 freestyle — her first Horizon League championship. Martinez was a three-time league champion in that event. Wenger didn’t lead any point of the race until the end.

“In the last 75 I was so close,” she recalled. “I knew that if I had her at 75 yards, I was going to fight hard enough and I was going to get her.”

Wenger had faster times in the final four splits to beat Martinez. Wenger won with a time of 10:17.43. Martinez’s time was 10:17.97.

That was the beginning of the rest of her life in the pool. It made her mentally stronger and confident. She’s now a three-time champion in that event. Today as a senior, she’s taking on a greater appreciation for how far she’s come and the path she took to get here.

“I love this pool and I’ve loved my career here,” Wenger said.

Her last home meet was two weeks ago and broke her own pool record in the 500 free. She considers that her going away party.

“I was happy with that,” Wenger said. “I’ll leave it with that.”

Still, watching the final home meet of the season on the pool deck wasn’t easy. But in about a month, she’s going to be doing that more often.

In the program Saturday, it asks: Plans after graduation?

Her response?

“Let’s face it, I will be coaching swimming,” she wrote.

Swimming isn’t a part of Wenger’s life. It is her life and she dons an ear-to-ear grin for what the sport did for her and for her life.

“I think I’m a different and better person for being a swimmer because I’ve learned team work and competition and how to be a good sport,” Wenger said. “It helped me grow up and learn how to manage myself.”

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Postgame Extra – Green Bay at Milwaukee

Game #24 – Milwaukee 88, Green Bay 75

Player of the Game - Anthony Hill was dominant Saturday afternoon. He scored 29 points, one shy of the collegiate-high 30 he had against Youngstown State earlier in the season. He also added 15 rebounds, which was a collegiate-best. Plus, he had three assists and three blocks. Hill made 7-of-8 from the line and 15-of-18 from the foul line, all while playing just 27 minutes because of foul trouble. And, this came after Hill went just 2-of-14 from the field in the first meeting of the season with the Phoenix.

Turning Point - Anthony Hill picked up his third foul with 18:19 to play in the game and Milwaukee up 38-26. But, instead of letting the Phoenix back in the game, the Panthers stepped on the gas without Hill. In fact, in a little over 30 seconds, back-to-back threes from Tone Boyle and Kyle Kelm pushed the advantage up to 16. UWM eventually led by as many as 18 points and once Hill went back in the game, he converted a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line.

Stat That Mattered - Milwaukee went 31-of-41 from the foul line, including 25-of-31 in the second half. Both the makes and the attempts were season highs, and UWM has now made 106 free throws in its last five games.

The Notebook - Milwaukee has won four-straight games, its longest winning streak since last season … UWM snapped out of its recent three-point shooting slump by making 11-of-24 from distance. The Panthers were 8-of-11 in the second half. Milwaukee had made just 18-of-80 from three in its previous four games … this was the seventh time this season the Panthers have made 10 or more threes in a game … Milwaukee reached double figures in offensive rebounds for the third-straight game … UWM has now won 11 of its last 13 games against Green Bay in Milwaukee … the win keeps the Panthers in fourth place in the Horizon League and within a game of third place. Milwaukee is two games out of first … Anthony Hill has now been in double figures in eight of his last nine games and has scored 20 or more points in two-straight outings … Tone Boyle made four 3-pointers, the 11th time he has made four or more threes in a game … Lonnie Boga left the game in the second half after appearing to reinjure his ankle or foot.

Up Next - UWM heads to Chicago for a pair of games, playing at Loyola Thursday and UIC Saturday.

Post-Game Wrap-Up: Milwaukee vs. Cleveland State

Post-Game Wrap-Up: Milwaukee vs. Cleveland State
Game #22 –Milwaukee 73, Cleveland State 64

Full game recap and stats here

Player of the Game - Lindsay Laur. Laur finished with a game-high 21 points, hit 8-of-8 at the free throw line, had 7 rebounds and hit a key three-pointer down the stretch. She also pushed her school-record made free throw streak to 36-straight.

Turning Point - 3:23 remaining in the game. After a CSU foul, Shawnita Garland was called for a technical foul—her fifth foul of the game. UWM got four free throws and was able to limit the Garland-less Vikings to one made basket the rest of the game.

Stat That Mattered - 25-for-30 at the free throw line. The Panthers effectively used the Vikings’ defensive intensity against them, drawing 23 fouls and getting to the free throw line 25 times in the second half. Milwaukee entered the day fifth in the nation in free throw shooting and stuck to the script, hitting 83.3 percent from the charity stripe.

The Notebook - Laur surpassed 700 career rebounds and now has 705 … the 20-point game was the 16th of her career, tied with Jessica Wilhite for fourth in school history ... Courtney Lindfors surpassed Trina Rathke on UWM’s freshman blocks list with 27 this season … she also tied Maria Viall for fourth with 78 made field goals … Angela Rodriguez hit her 44th three-pointer of the season, tied for third-most by a freshman in school history … the Panthers won for the third time this season when trailing at halftime (UIC, South Dakota) … the USD game was the only time this season UWM attempted or made more free throws (28-for-31) … Milwaukee forced an opponent to shoot below 30 percent from three-point range for the seventh time in eight games … Laur played in her 144th career game, tied for third-most in school history … Sami Tucker’s 12 rebounds are a career-high.

Tracking The League - Milwaukee entered the game tied with Cleveland State for fifth in the league standings. The Panthers take sole possession of fifth with the win and could move as high as third with favorable results around the league later today.

Up Next - The Panthers return to action next week with a two-game swing through Chicago. The trip starts with a Thursday evening game at Loyola.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Post-Game Wrap-Up: Milwaukee vs. Youngstown State

Post-Game Wrap-Up: Milwaukee vs. Youngstown State
Game #21 –Milwaukee 81, Youngstown State 66

Full game recap and stats here

Player of the Game - Sami Tucker. Tucker scored a career-high 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting and 4-for-4 from three-point range… in the first half. She finished with 23 points on 9-for-11 from the field and chipped in nine rebounds.

Turning Point - Four-straight turnovers in the first half threatened to get Youngstown State in the driver’s seat. The Penguins had pulled within three with the ball, but UWM held firm, then turned on the offense. The Panthers outscored YSU, 27-7, over the final 8-plus minutes of the half for a 51-28 halftime advantage.

Stat That Mattered - 50 percent shooting. Milwaukee hit half of its shots in the game, that certainly helped, as it turned the ball over 22 times. The Panthers also hit 10 three-pointers on 20 attempts. That range stretched the defense and opened things up inside, as well.

The Notebook - Laur tied her career-high for assists in a game in the first half alone (7) … Jenilee Klomstad tied a career-high with 5 blocks … Tucker is the fifth different Panther with 20 points in a game this season … UWM’s 23-point halftime lead is tied for the fifth-largest in school history … Corrin Von Wald previously held the school record with 27-straight made free throws … Milwaukee has one triple-double in school history, Jody Crumble (March 9, 2007) … the Panthers hit 10 threes in a game for the fourth time this season … Milwaukee is 27-for-54 (.500) from three-point range over its last three games … UWM had four players in double-figures for the sixth time this season (5-1 record) … this was the Panthers’ third half of 50-plus points this season and the most in the first half (previously 34 points) … Tucker is the second player for the team to have 20-plus points in a half this season (Courtney Lindfors had 22 points in the second half at Chicago State) … Angela Rodriguez played less than 30 minutes in a game for the first time as a Panther (28).

Up Next - Milwaukee continues a three-game homestand Saturday, hosting Cleveland State at the Klotsche Center. Tip-off is at 11 a.m.

Live Blog: Milwaukee vs. Youngstown State

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Doffek Featured on CollegeBaseballInsider.com


The Milwaukee Panthers embark on the 2011 baseball season in just over two weeks, but you can hardly even start to think baseball when you look outside.

With most of the state digging out of the "Groundhog's Day Blizzard", next on everyone's mind is the big game this weekend. For a taste of baseball and football, CollegeBaseballInsider.com is doing a "Nine Innings" feature with the NCAA DI baseball coaches from Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

Click HERE for head coach Scott Doffek's take on the Super Bowl.