UWM gets a harsh dose of reality as Panthers lose their first game of the season

UW-Milwaukee head coach Bart Lundy is shown during the second half of their game Thursday, February 23, 2023 at the Klotsche Center in Milwaukee Wis. UW-Milwaukee beat Purdue Fort Wayne 96-94.

The first real test of the season for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee was also a lesson for the Panthers.

Milwaukee got punched in the mouth from the jump in their first game against a NCAA Division I opponent and never fully recovered defensively in an 87-67 loss to Northern Iowa on the road Thursday night in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

The backcourt duo of Themus Fulks (18 points) and AJ McKee (16) led the way  for Milwaukee, which dropped to 1-1 on the young season, while Jamichael Stillwell finished one rebound shy of a double-double.

Here’s what we learned from a challenging evening for Milwaukee.

Defense gets a run for its money

There was a bit of a step up in competition from Monday night’s opener against D-III Lawrence when Milwaukee stepped onto the floor at the McLeod Center.

UNI, picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley Conference, put on a clinic of offensive efficiency.

BOX SCORE: Northern Illinois 87, UWM 68

Led by lights-out shooting from Tytan Anderson and Trey Campbell, the host Panthers shot 60.4% from the floor, pouring it on from the very outset of the game through the final buzzer.

UNI shot 65.4% in the first half to jump out to a 45-34 lead, a deficit that could have even been much worse for the visitors after they trailed 23-5 halfway through the period.

A Campbell three in transition ballooned UNI’s lead to a game-high 20 points at 76-56, then moments later a fastbreak alley-oop by Wauwatosa East graduate Leon Bond III put an exclamation on the performance.

UNI shot 12 of 24 from three-point range, the product of some unexpected shot-making and defensive lapses by Milwaukee.

“I thought it was both,” Panthers head coach Bart Lundy said. “We weren’t connected and were not as focused on defense as we’d liked to have been. Give them credit. They have guys that…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/uwm-gets-harsh-dose-reality-042833111.html

Author : Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Publish date : 2024-11-08 04:28:00

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