The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women’s basketball team’s bid to complete the largest comeback in program history came up just short as they fell to Butler 75-73 Thursday night at the Klotsche Center.

The game, which was described by head coach Sandy Botham afterwards as “a story of two halves,” was completely accurate in describing the efforts of the Panthers as a whole.

“You know, we’re a team that just hasn’t been able to put 40 minutes together, and it’s just killing us,” concluded Botham.

What really killed the Panthers though, was a multitude of first half mistakes. Butler clearly dominated the women from opening tip to intermission, causing 14 turnovers that resulted in 15 points, outscoring the Panthers 24-8 in the paint, and getting nine second chance points compared to none for Milwaukee.

The Bulldogs shot 51.5 percent from the floor including 4-for-8 from three and the tandem of Susan Lester and Lade Akande gave the Panthers defense fits. When Akande wasn’t imposing her will on the inside, Lester was putting on a clinic from the outside, going 3-for-4 from deep. The duo combined for 32 of Butler’s 44 first half points which doubled the Panthers offensive output (22 points on 32 percent field goal shooting).

With her team trailing by 22 at half, Botham focused on both offensive, and defensive adjustments and stressed the importance of being more aggressive.

“It wasn’t a Knute Rockne speech by any means, you know, it was adjustments we could make, and that we could still do this.”

As bad as the offense for the Panthers was in the first half, it was that much better in the second. As a team Milwaukee shot a scorching 61 percent from the field including 7-for-11 from beyond the arc. Maurika Hickman led the hot three-point shooting going 3-of-4 in the second half, while teammate Lindsay Laur made two of her three long distance attempts.

After Markita Barnes hit a three-pointer with 1:27 remaining, that trimmed Butler lead to six, the Panthers seemed to have all the momentum. A defensive stop and an Aubri Rote jumper brought the lead down to four with just over a minute.

Even Butler seemed to be helping the comeback effort, missing three consecutive free throws in the bonus, but Milwaukee could not take advantage. The lead got down to one with 44 seconds left before Butler’s Tara Miller hit 1-of-2 from the foul stripe to give the Bulldogs a two point advantage, but that’s as close as the Panthers got.

With 11 seconds left and the Panthers trailing by two, Emily Markert’s 12-foot jumper bounced of the back iron and was rebounded by Azjah Bass who made consecutive free throws to seal the victory for the Bulldogs.

“ It’s obviously disappointing, that we lose here, at home, again. But, you know we fought back, we didn’t give up. They had chances to win, but, you know, we have to put 40 minutes together, that’s our challenge, that’s their challenge.”

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