Milwaukee City Wire

Milwaukee faced a narrow defeat against Southern Miss in men's basketball on Saturday, with the Golden Eagles clinching a 66-65 victory at Reed Green Coliseum. The Panthers maintained a lead for most of the game but were overtaken by Southern Miss's decisive play in the final seconds.

Themus Fulks was the top scorer for Milwaukee, contributing 17 points and achieving an impressive shooting performance of 8-of-11 from the field. Kentrell Pullian added 13 points and seven rebounds, while AJ McKee and Jamichael Stillwell each scored 10 points with eight rebounds.

Despite leading for over 35 minutes, Milwaukee couldn't secure the win. Head coach Bart Lundy reflected on the closing moments: "I thought we executed fine on that last set... It's my fault… we have to manage those late-game situations better."

Denijay Harris was pivotal for Southern Miss, scoring a career-high 24 points and securing eight rebounds. Neftali Alvarez made a crucial layup to seal the win for Southern Miss, who boast an impressive home record.

Milwaukee's early efforts included a strong start with a 10-0 run and maintaining control through much of the game. However, turnovers and missed free throws hindered their performance, converting only 47.1 percent from the line.

Next, Milwaukee will face Cleveland State as they begin Horizon League play at home on Thursday.