Women’s basketball ties program record for wins

Ruvanna Campbell racked up 16 points Monday in a win against Milwaukee. Photo: Timothy Nguyen

The women’s basketball team (19-7, 8-5 Horizon League) tied the program record for single-season wins Monday with a 79-54 home victory over Milwaukee (7-17, 3-8 Horizon League). 

The Flames went on a 30-0 run in the first half to pull away from the Panthers. Senior Katie Hannemann scored a game-high 26 points to lead the Flames.

The 2006-07 squad was 19-13 and made the program’s lone trip to the postseason. UIC’s 19-7 overall record is the program’s best mark through 26 games in program history. The Flames are 8-5 through 13 conference games for the second time under head coach Regina Miller.

UIC, currently in fifth-place in the Horizon League, takes 10 days off before playing at No. 4 Youngstown State (11-12, 7-3 Horizon League) Feb. 27. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. at the Beeghly Center.

UIC forced a season-high 26 turnovers and scored 26 points off the Panthers’ miscues. The Flames out-rebounded the Panthers, 48-40.

Milwaukee pulled out to a 12-7 lead after Emily Decorah’s three-pointer with 15:28 left in the first half. Over the next 14 minutes, UIC held the Panthers to 0-of-16 shooting and forced 15 Milwaukee turnovers.

UIC held a 37-12 lead before a three-point play by Avyanna Young narrowed the Flames’ halftime lead to 37-15.

Hannemann scored 14 second-half points and the Flames led by as many as 33 (62-29) with 10 minutes remaining. Ruvanna Campbell scored eight points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the second half.

Hannemann collected her seventh career 20-point performance. She was 8-of-12 from the field and a season-high 10-of-12 from the free throw line. She grabbed seven rebounds in 26 minutes of action. Over the last three games, she is averaging 24.7 points and 8.7 rebounds and shooting 71.1 percent from the field.

Campbell picked up her eighth straight double-double with 16 points and 16 rebounds. She added five assists, three blocks and two steals in 37 minutes on the floor.

Campbell has 18 double-doubles and seven 15-plus rebound efforts this season. She is averaging 14.5 rebounds over the last eight contests.

Sophomore Terri Bender scored 16 points for her 12th double-digit effort of the season. She had 10 points in the first half. Bender had a strong all-around game with nine rebounds, seven assists and four steals. She is averaging 3.3 steals over the last eight contests.