The Milwaukee women’s basketball team was eliminated from the 2026 Barbasol Horizon League Basketball Championship after a narrow 69-67 loss to Detroit Mercy in the play-in round.
Tierney Madigan led all scorers with 22 points, making nine of her eleven field goal attempts and two three-pointers. Jorey Buwalda contributed a double-double, finishing with 19 points and 12 rebounds.
Detroit Mercy took an early six-point lead after both teams started slowly. The Titans closed the first quarter on a five-point run, leading 17-11. Both teams matched each other in the second quarter, each scoring eight field goals. At halftime, Detroit Mercy led 37-31 while shooting nearly 45 percent from the field compared to Milwaukee’s just over 40 percent.
Milwaukee responded in the third quarter by outscoring Detroit Mercy 24-16. Madigan scored ten points in that period with perfect shooting from the field and added a three-pointer and free throw. The Panthers shot nearly 70 percent for the quarter and made three shots from long range, their highest of the game.
Entering the fourth quarter up by two, Milwaukee extended its lead to four before Detroit Mercy regained control at 61-60. Buwalda briefly put Milwaukee back ahead, but Detroit Mercy answered with key baskets down the stretch.
Payton Rechlicz gave Milwaukee a three-point edge late in the game off an assist from Madison Fitzgibbon, but Anna Lassan’s consecutive baskets put Detroit Mercy back in front. Nisea Burrell added another layup for Detroit Mercy to make it 67-64 after two empty possessions by Milwaukee.
Grace Lomen made one free throw for Milwaukee before Makayla Jackson restored a three-point lead for Detroit Mercy. Fitzgibbon converted two free throws following a foul to bring Milwaukee within one point. With less than a second left, Kailee Davis missed two free throws for Detroit Mercy after another Panthers foul, but Milwaukee could not get off a final shot as time expired.
Detroit Mercy used only seven players during the game. Jasmine Edwards and Makayla Jackson each scored 17 points for the Titans; Aaliyah McQueen had 15 points and eight rebounds.
Detroit Mercy held an advantage in paint scoring at 42-36 while Milwaukee led bench scoring at 28-17, including Madigan’s total.
Lomen finished with eight points for Milwaukee; Rechlicz had seven; Jada Williams added four.
Milwaukee ends its season with an overall record of eight wins and twenty-four losses (4-16 Horizon League). Detroit Mercy moves on to face top-seeded Green Bay in the next round Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m.
The Milwaukee Panthers women’s basketball team is part of NCAA Division I competition as a member of the Horizon League and represents University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee athletics. The program emphasizes balancing academics with athletics while participating in conference and non-conference games throughout each season according to NCAA regulations.
