WBB-FCS: Milwaukee Panthers (5-8) at Wright State Raiders (1-14)

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – After a tough setback on Thursday, the Panthers head to Ohio looking for their first win of the new year. Milwaukee will take on Wright State on Saturday from the Nutter Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 12:00 pm CT and can be viewed on ESPN+. Live stats and live audio will also be available with Matt Menzl on the call. All links are available on MKEPanthers.com.
 
SCOUTING THE RAIDERS
Wright State has struggled this season with just one win, a 98-37 triumph against Ohio Christian, a member of the NAIA.
 
The Raiders are 0-5 in Horizon League play after falling to Green Bay on Thursday night.
 
Senior transfer Bryce Nixon, who played at Arizona and Santa Clara, paces the team with 12.1 points per game, shooting 44.4 percent from the floor and 44.4 percent from three-point range. She ranks second in the league with 2.4 triples per contest and would lead the league in percentage but is just short of the minimum requirements.
 
The Raiders average 60.7 points per game but are last in the league defensively, giving up 78.8 points per contest. Rebounding has also been a problem for Wright State, averaging just 27.2 per game with a margin of -15.9, both of which rank last in the league.
 
LAST TIME THEY MET
Miquela Santoro and McKaela Schmelzer combined for 36 points to lead Milwaukee an 80-55 victory at Wright State on January 29. The Panthers posted season-highs of 53.6 percent shooting and 80 points. Santoro put up 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting while Schmelzer finished with 17 points, three rebounds, and five assists.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Milwaukee has picked up two straight wins over Wright State and has won four of the last six matchups. Overall, the Raiders hold a slight 33-31 edge. The Panthers are just 13-20 at the Nutter Center against WSU.
 
WHATS ON TAP?
The Panthers remain on the road with a trip to league-leading Cleveland State on Thursday, January 12.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Northern Kentucky shot nearly 60 percent in the second half to erase a double-digit lead and top Milwaukee 66-60 at Truist Arena on Thursday night.
 
THAT’S WHAT WE NEAD
It was another strong performance from Kendall Nead, who led the Panthers with a career-high 19 points against Northern Kentucky.
 
Nead reaching double digits is becoming common and is a much-needed offensive spark for the Panthers.
 
The sophomore has reached at least 10 points in four straight games and six of the last seven contests.
Nead now leads the team with 10.2 points per game and is also averaging 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists.
 
Nead added two more three-pointers on Thursday and has hit eight in the last three games. She’s one of the top three-point threats for the Panthers, shooting 32.3 percent from long range with 10 triples.
 
FLASHY FRESHMAN
Things started to click for Kamy Peppler on Thursday, who put together a career-high 16 points against Northern Kentucky.
 
The freshman nearly single-handedly brought the Panthers back in the fourth quarter, going 5-for-9 from the floor including 2-for-3 from deep for 14 points.
 
Peppler finished the game 6-for-12 and added seven rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block.
 
She’s averaging 5.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and team-high 2.4 assists per game in her first collegiate season.
 
DEFENSE ON LOCK
Milwaukee carried its stout defense from the last two games into the first half of Thursday’s game, holding the high-scoring Norse to just 16 points on 6-for-31 (19.4 percent) shooting.
 
The Panthers ran out of steam in the second half, but still held NKU to over five points below its season average.
 
Through five Horizon League games, MKE ranks second in points allowed (52.0), opponent field goal percentage (32.8), and opponent three-point percentage (23.2).
 
In the two wins over Detroit Mercy and Oakland, the Panthers allowed just 39.0 points per game on 22.5 percent shooting. The two teams were just 8-for-42 (19.0 percent) from long range.
 
Neither the Titans nor Golden Grizzlies reached 50 points, the first time MKE has held opponents to under 50 in back-to-back games since November 18-20 of last season. In those games, MKE opened league play 2-0 while holding Wright State to 47 points and Northern Kentucky to 49.
 
RACKIN’ UP THE REBOUNDS
Megan Walstad was all over the boards on Thursday, pulling down a season-high 12 rebounds. She added six points, an assist, and a steal against Northern Kentucky.
 
Walstad’s rebounding numbers have been climbing all season as she’s up to 6.8 per game which leads the team and ranks sixth in the league.
 
Walstad has led the team in rebounds in each of the last six games.
 
PICTURE PERFECT
In the Panthers’ win over Oakland, Megan Walstad was flawless, going 5-for-5 from the floor and 4-for-4 from the free throw line for 14 points.
 
It marks the first time a Panther finished perfect from the floor with at least five field goals since Miquela Santoro went 5-for-5 on February 19, 2022.
 
Walstad added a team-high nine rebounds and two assists in the victory.
 
RECORD-SETTING WIN
Defense was the story in a win over Detroit Mercy on December 29, setting multiple program bests.
 
The Panthers held the Titans to 29 points, the lowest for an opponent in NCAA Division I history surpassing Valparaiso’s 31 from February 25, 2012.
 
Detroit also converted just 17.5 percent of its field goals, the lowest field goal percentage for an opponent since MKE held Youngstown State to 19.4 percent on March 6, 2010.
 
The seven made field goals for Detroit were also an opponent program-low for the Panthers, four fewer than the previous mark.
 
SERVING UP A WIN
Milwaukee was finding the open player against Detroit Mercy and making it count, totaling a season-high 22 assists.
 
It is the most assists for the Panthers since MKE had 24 in a win over Northern Iowa on March 15, 2018. That year, MKE eclipsed 20 assists on five different occasions.
 
The Panthers had those 22 assists on 25 made field goals, the highest assist percentage (88.0) since dishing out 16 assists on 18 field goals (88.8) in a win over Chicago State on March 3, 2016.
 
FINDING A WAY INSIDE
Emma Wittmerhaus has been the Panthers’ most consistent presence inside this season, averaging 10.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
 
The redshirt senior led with 15 points against Detroit Mercy and has reached double digits in six of the last eight games and nine of the last 12.
 
The redshirt senior is having a career-year, leading the team in points per game while ranking second in rebounds and field goal percentage (48.7).
 
NEED A ROAD SHOW
Milwaukee has yet to find success on the road, winless in six games. The Panthers have struggled shooting the ball away from the Klotsche Center, with a 36.4 percent field goal percentage and 23.3 three-point percentage in those six games. MKE averages 51.8 points on the road.
 
ALL OF THE DOUBLE DIGITS
In the win over Detroit Mercy, Milwaukee had five players reach double figures. Grace Crowley led the way with 13 points while Kendall Nead (12), Anna Lutz (11), Kamy Peppler (10), and Emma Wittmershaus (10) all joined in double digits.
 
It marks the first time Milwaukee had at least five players with at least 10 points since February 8, 2020. That game, Jamie Reit’s 13 points led the way while Bre Cera added 12, McKaela Schmelzer and Sydney Staver each had 11, and Lizzie Odegard finished with 10 in a 65-60 win over Green Bay.
 
Milwaukee improved to 2-0 this year when at least four players reach double figures. The Panthers are 16-4 over the last five years when four or more players reach at least 10 points.
 
MAGIC NUMBER
In college basketball, there is no perfect recipe for a win but for Milwaukee, field goal percentage has been a pretty good baseline.
 
In the last seven seasons, Milwaukee is 87-25 (.775) when hitting at least 40 percent from the field. Bump that field goal percentage to 43 percent and the Panthers are 67-12 (.846).
 
When shooting under 40 percent since 2016-17, Milwaukee is just 25-62 (.294).
 
The Panthers have been held under 40 percent in eight games this year, going 1-7 in those contests.