The Milwaukee men’s basketball team secured an 84-80 overtime victory against IU Indianapolis on Wednesday night at The Jungle. This win extended the Panthers’ winning streak to ten consecutive games in their all-time series with the Jaguars.
Milwaukee, now standing at 16-8 overall and 9-4 in the Horizon League, overcame a late deficit during regulation play before claiming victory in overtime. Head coach Bart Lundy praised his team’s resilience, stating, “I thought our backs were against the wall a couple of times and we made plays.”
Key contributions came from Jamichael Stillwell and Erik Pratt, each scoring 17 points. Stillwell also recorded his 13th double-double of the season with a game-high 14 rebounds and three steals. Pratt added six rebounds and two assists off the bench.
Themus Fulks was instrumental in overtime, scoring four consecutive points that put Milwaukee ahead in the final minute. AJ McKee played a crucial defensive role by blocking IU Indy’s last three-point attempt that could have tied the game. Coach Lundy highlighted McKee’s defense: “He is a high-level defender…and AJ contested that as well as you can contest it and got a piece of it.”
Faizon Fields contributed significantly with 14 points and six rebounds, starting Milwaukee’s decisive seven-point run in overtime with his layup.
IU Indianapolis was led by Paul Zlinskas who scored a game-high 25 points. The match featured numerous ties and lead changes throughout its duration.
Coach Lundy noted the physical nature of the game: “It was an extremely physical game…we were able to wear them down.” He acknowledged how fatigue impacted both teams but credited his squad’s depth for their success.
The first half saw both teams vying for control, with IU Indy leading by as much as ten points before Milwaukee closed the gap to enter halftime tied at 41-41.
Milwaukee outperformed IU Indy across various metrics including rebounding (49-33), bench scoring (40-11), paint points (54-40), and fastbreak points (18-8).
The Panthers will continue their road trip with an upcoming matchup against Cleveland State on Saturday at 2 p.m., aiming to maintain momentum within league play.
