The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women’s basketball team lost on March 18 for the first time in over a month, ending an impressive 12-game winning streak as well as an equally outstanding season.

The 13th-seeded Panthers (22-9) fell victim to the fourth-seeded Spartans (23-9) of Michigan State 65-46 in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

Freshman center and Horizon League tournament MVP Traci Edwards led UWM with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Nichole Drummond and Molly O’Brien also reached double-digits, scoring 11 and 10 respectively.

Liz Shimek carried the load for the Spartans with a game-high 27, including 17 in the second half, to spark her team’s run.

Michigan State, last year’s NCAA Tournament runner-up, led by just one point at the half, 23-22, and by just three with 12 minutes to play before pulling away from the Panthers.

The loss abruptly ended the UWM women’s second tournament appearance in school history. Their only other trip to the Big Dance came in 2001, when they earned the No. 16 seed and matched up against top-seeded Duke, losing 96-63.

Loss ends upbeat season

Despite the loss, the Panthers are proud of what they accomplished this season, capturing their second Horizon League Championship.

“It has been a dream season for Wisconsin-Milwaukee and it is always sad to see a run like this end,” coach Sandy Botham said.

Due in large part to a tough non-conference schedule, UWM began the year 5-7 before winning 17 of their next 18 prior to facing Michigan State. They lost just two conference games all year, but not without their fair share of close calls.

After beating Loyola in the Horizon League Tournament quarterfinals, the Panthers found themselves trailing Butler 53-42 with 7:26 remaining in the semis, but eventually escaped with a 58-57 victory. They next defeated the University of Illinois-Chicago 71-63 in the finals to advance to the NCAA Tournament.

With just three seniors departing next season, the Panthers are optimistic about their chances of returning to the field of 64. Botham, who was named the Horizon League Coach of the Year for the second time in her career, believes the returning players gained a lot from their post-season run.

“We are excited about the future of the program and the experience that they are getting out of this game is going to bode well for years to come,” she said.

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