The Milwaukee men's basketball team opened their 2024-25 season with a commanding victory over Lakeland University, finishing with a score of 118-62 at the Klotsche Center. The Panthers set a school record by scoring 66 points in the second half, nearly reaching their NCAA Division I program record of 125 points in a single game.
Newcomer Jamichael Stillwell led the team with an impressive performance, achieving a double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds off the bench in just 20 minutes. Erik Pratt and AJ McKee each contributed 14 points, while Faizon Fields and Aaron Franklin added 12 apiece. Themus Fulks and Kentrell Pullian also scored in double figures with 11 points each.
Fulks delivered seven assists without committing any turnovers, McKee had eight assists, and Pullian recorded seven steals, just one shy of the school record.
Head coach Bart Lundy commented on the team's first-half performance: "I thought we were a little loose in the first half," he said. Despite leading at halftime by a score of 52-33, Lundy emphasized teamwork during the break. "At halftime, we talked as a group about playing for each other... I thought they took that to heart and we played really unselfishly in the second half."
In the second half, Milwaukee used a decisive 13-0 run to extend their lead to 67-37 early on. "It broke open... I thought we did a good job with that," Lundy remarked regarding their defensive strategy. He praised his players' dominance inside: "Inside guys, obviously, Jamichael, Faizon, Duffy, Aaron… they didn't have an answer for those guys."
Milwaukee's defense held Lakeland to just 30 percent shooting in the second half. Overall, they shot 58 percent from the field and controlled rebounds decisively at 56-24.
Lundy concluded by expressing satisfaction with his team's performance: "They played the right way... there was a lot of joy out there."
The Panthers will next face Northern Iowa on Thursday evening.
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