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Simply sensational
UWM women advance to showdown with Green Bay
By Jimmy Lemke
Normally a team that begins the game in a 23-4 hole does not figure out a way to climb out of it.
This Panther squad breaks through the norm.
Surviving a 29-point explosion by forward Whitney Lewis, the No. 4 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee womens basketball team advanced in the Horizon League Tournament past No. 5 Wright State (10-18, 8-9 Horizon), 83-79 in overtime March 7.
Traci Edwards led the Panthers with 23 points and seven rebounds, while junior reserve Aubri Rote came in and swished five three-pointers. Sophomore transfer Jody Crumble made six of her eight field goals and scored 15 points, leading the team with nine assists.
The game brought UWMs record to .500 at 15-15.
Starting with that deep 23-4 deficit, the Panthers clawed their way back to being down by only five at halftime.
The teams exchanged blows in the second half, with Wright State leading by five and UWM leading by as much as eight in the second stanza. WSU was leading by three until senior Aubrey Hampton, who struggled for most of the game, stepped up and nailed a three-point bomb that tied the game at 69.
Jody Crumble accidentally fouled Steph Comisar of WSU. Comisar sank two free throws and put the Panthers back in the red. However, Crumble made up for it by taking the rock coast-to-coast off the inbounds pass and laying in the tying basket.
In overtime, the lead changed three times, but the Panthers went up for good with 1:19 remaining when Aubri Rote hit her fifth three-pointer of the game. Turquoise McCain and Edwards clinched the victory by sinking free throws down the stretch. WSU lost just one day after the mens team punched its ticket to the dance.
The Panthers (15-15, 11-6 Horizon) advanced in the Horizon League tournament to face No. 1 seeded UW-Green Bay (25-3, 16-0). The game was played Friday night, and the conference championship game was yesterday. Recaps of both games can be found on the UWM Posts sports blog, which can be found at http://sports.uwmpost.com.
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