Chandler Jackson scored a career-high 25 points to lead the Milwaukee Panthers men’s basketball team to a 92-88 win over IU Indianapolis on Tuesday night in Indianapolis. Jackson, who was playing in his hometown, also grabbed eight rebounds, including an offensive rebound and putback with 7.7 seconds left that secured the victory for Milwaukee.
“We got contributions from a lot of guys and Chandler’s career-high – we obviously needed every point of it,” said head coach Bart Lundy. “They kept their composure out there [against IU Indy full-court press all game]. Esyah Pippa-White was phenomenal. He not only helped us break the press but helped us stay calm in the halfcourt. We got sped up in the first half a bit; I didn’t think we got sped up in the second half.”
Jackson finished 7-of-14 from the field and made 11-of-14 free throws. His late rebound and basket increased Milwaukee’s lead from two to four points, sealing the win.
“Game-winner, big shot, in front of his parents, friends, and family in his hometown … just very happy for him and the way he played tonight,” Lundy said.
Amar Augillard contributed 17 points—12 coming in the first half—and seven rebounds. Stevie Elam added 14 points and four rebounds, hitting a crucial three-pointer with just over five minutes remaining to give Milwaukee a lead they would not relinquish. Aaron Franklin narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and eleven rebounds, while Esyah Pippa-White had eight points and four boards.
Maquire Mitchell led IU Indianapolis with 23 points and eight rebounds; Kyler D’Augustino added 22 points.
Milwaukee trailed by nine early in the second half before going on a decisive 19-5 run to take control of the game. The Panthers maintained their advantage despite late pressure from IU Indianapolis.
“Those guys have really been working hard at staying sharp from the free throw line and their work paid off tonight,” Lundy said of his team’s performance at the line. “We got there and we made them.”
The Panthers finished shooting 48.3 percent from the field (28-of-58) and converted on 75.6 percent of their free throws (31-of-41). They outrebounded IU Indianapolis 46-32, doubled them on second-chance points (22-11), and received strong support from their bench with a season-best 49 bench points.
With this result, Milwaukee extended its winning streak against IU Indianapolis to twelve games out of their last thirteen meetings.
The Milwaukee Panthers men’s basketball team represents University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee athletics and competes in NCAA Division I as part of the Horizon League. The program is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and serves as one of UW-Milwaukee’s key athletic teams.
Next up for Milwaukee is a home game against Green Bay on Sunday at 2 p.m., continuing their schedule within Horizon League play.
