The Milwaukee men’s basketball team secured a commanding 79-59 victory over Northern Kentucky at Truist Arena on Friday night. The Panthers, now holding a record of 15-7 overall and 8-3 in the Horizon League, led from the start against the Norse, who fell to 9-12 overall and 4-6 in conference play.
Milwaukee’s head coach Bart Lundy expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance. “I thought we were really tough tonight,” Lundy said. “NKU is a really good team. They are a very good program and have a great coach. So to be able to come into here and perform the way we did, I thought our team showed toughness and grit in every way.”
Erik Pratt was pivotal for Milwaukee, tying his season-high with 20 points. He made an impact by shooting efficiently from long range, hitting four out of five three-point attempts. His performance helped solidify Milwaukee’s lead late in the game. Kentrell Pullian also contributed significantly with 15 points, scoring nine early on that set the tone for Milwaukee’s strong start.
“KP (Pullian) got off to the hot start to begin with and then Erik (Pratt), those 3’s were really daggers and really separated us and the game was over,” Lundy remarked.
Jamichael Stillwell nearly achieved his 13th double-double of the season with 14 points and nine rebounds. Themus Fulks added eight points along with seven assists and three rebounds.
Trey Robinson led Northern Kentucky with 11 points and six rebounds as they extended their losing streak to five games.
Reflecting on recent challenges, Lundy stated, “We were not in a great place after the Robert Morris loss. But friction causes traction and these guys have good traction.”
Milwaukee maintained pressure throughout the game, particularly excelling in fastbreak opportunities where they scored 21 more points than their opponents. The Panthers will next face Purdue Fort Wayne at home on February 2nd after enjoying a break.
