UWM’s women’s basketball team reached the semifinals of the Women’s Basketball Invitational with Sunday’s 67-57 victory over St. Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania. The Panthers will play at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro 6 p.m. Thursday for a spot in the WBI championship game.
Against St. Francis, the Panthers got 15 points apiece from Jamie Reit and Steph Kostowicz while collecting their 22nd win of the season, which ties a program record. Kostowicz added 11 rebounds for UWM, while Jenny Lindner had 12 points.
Prior to the WBI tournament, the Panthers had never won a postseason game, but have now won two in a row. UWM routed Southern Illinois 81-53 in the first round of the WBI.
“This is just an opportunity to continue to show that growth in our program,” UWM coach Kyle Rechlicz said, “and how far we’ve come over the last few years.”
When UWM played in the 2016 WNIT, it marked the program’s first postseason appearance in a decade. Should the Panthers (22-11) beat UNC-Greensboro (19-14) in Thursday’s contest, they’ll face either Rice, Idaho or Eastern Washington in the WBI title game, which will be played Saturday or Sunday.
For more coverage, visit mkepanthers.com, the official website of UWM athletics. You can see the full WBI bracket at the tournament’s website.
