In Milwaukee’s first game back from an away trip overseas, the Bulldogs of Drake took
advantage of the Panthers’ lackluster shooting performance and lackadaisical defense, taking
control for a 75-61 victory.
Milwaukee had a great deal of energy in pre-game warmups, which translated to the first few minutes of the contest, as the Panthers started the game off with an 8-0 scoring run. Milwaukee led all the way up until about midway through the first half. Their success early on in the game came from DeAndre Abram at the foul line, connecting on 3-5 before the break. Abram went on to lead the Panthers in minutes (31) and rebounds (eight) by the end of regulation. Abram added 12 points on the night. Vance Johnson also added 12 points and eight rebounds.
Things started to fall apart for Milwaukee late in the first half, allowing the Bulldogs to launch
and connect from beyond the three-point line. Drake’s Nick Norton went on a scoring barrage
in the first 20 minutes of this ballgame, finding 12 points from deep. He would finish with 14
points for the Bulldogs.
The Panthers struggled on the offensive end down the stretch due to some very poor shot selection. They shot a mediocre 31% from the field before the end of the half. Drake hit six first half three-pointers, helping them command a 38-22 lead at the break.
Turnovers continue to be a theme for Milwaukee’s rocky start to the season, as they
finished the game with 17. The Panthers struggled to recover in the second half, as shooting woes were reoccurring.
Freshman Jamar Madge found himself some extended time on the floor, adding 10 minutes to his young career in a Milwaukee uniform. He was not able to add many positives to the stat sheet, but was confident in his shot-taking ability. Coach Baldwin spoke about Madge’s contributions postgame.
“Jamar, you know he’s a great kid, he works super hard,” Baldwin said. “When we were in Ireland and playing against Stephen F. Austin, he gave a tremendous effort out there on the floor, and he does that every single day. So, we wanted to reward him, and give him some opportunities.”
One of the few bright spots from the Panthers was Darius Roy’s scoring performance, gathering 17 points in the second half, seven of those coming from the charity stripe. He continues to be the leading scorer for Milwaukee, averaging nearly 15 ppg.
Nick McGlynn, a Wisconsin native (Stoughton), gave the Panthers a great deal of trouble, despite only playing 18 minutes. He led the Bulldogs with 15 points, and the majority of his scoring came in the second half. McGlynn also added a block and a steal to his Thursday night campaign.
Milwaukee currently sits at an unfathomable 2-7 record on the season. The Panthers
look to turn the ship around heading into a two-game road stand. The first of those contests is
against a familiar foe, North Dakota. This is the second time in less than a month that Milwaukee will face-off against the Fighting Hawks.
The Panthers return home at the end of next week, playing Division III Wisconsin
Lutheran College at 4 p.m. at the Panther Arena.