“I told those guys – Saturday is really the biggest game of the year for us.”
Such were the words of head coach Bart Lundy prior to Saturday’s matchup against the second-place Oakland Golden Grizzlies. The biggest game of the year quickly became the best game of the year, a double-overtime thriller that left Milwaukee with a heartbreaking 91-87 loss. The Panthers missed an opportunity to climb the standings, instead falling to sixth place, where they now sit tied with two others at 5-5.
Panthers jump out to early lead but struggle heading into the half
The Panthers, who trailed nearly the entire contest in their 100-95 loss to the Golden Grizzlies earlier this month, reversed course early on Saturday. Milwaukee came out of the gate with as much energy as they’ve displayed all year, carving out an early lead on the heels of five-of-eight three-point shooting and a 10-point scoring run. They held an 11-point advantage more than halfway through the first at 30-19.
Oakland answered with a run of their own, closing out the initial period with a 12-0 run to grab a 38-37 lead. Saturday marked the 13th time the Panthers have trailed at intermission, nearly two-thirds of their contests.
The catalyst for Milwaukee’s early success was Kentrell Pullian, who quietly scored 13 of the team’s first 27 points. He finished with 27, one off his career-high mark.
“KP is playing at such a high level; he wants to win so badly,” said Lundy after Pullian’s performance on Saturday afternoon. “The spirit he plays with… there were a couple stretches in the game where things were going bad for us and he just went and made a play – whether it was a defensive stop, a steal, a basket… just play after play. I couldn’t be more proud of KP.”
Of equal importance but on the defensive end, Milwaukee held preseason first-team all-Horizon League forward Trey Townsend to just 1-4 on field goal attempts and six points in the first half. His 31 percent (4-13) mark from the field in Saturday’s matchup was his second worst output of the conference season.
Oakland, Milwaukee engage in tight second half
Oakland remained in control early after the break, holding the lead until Erik Pratt’s three knotted the game at 60-60 with six minutes remaining. A Faizon Fields free throw gave Milwaukee their first lead in over 13 minutes.
The two teams stayed locked in a back-and-forth affair late as neither team grabbed a lead of more than three points in the final seven minutes. With Milwaukee staked to a three-point lead, Oakland guard Jack Gohlke hit the first of his two game-tying three-point shots with 36 seconds remaining. A pair of Erik Pratt missed threes sent the game to overtime with the teams locked at 68.
*Subtitle* Saturday’s contest requires two overtimes to decide winner
Back-and-forth proved to be a constant as the lead changed hands seven times during the two overtime periods. Gohlke sent the game to a second overtime when his three tied the game at 76, again with 36 seconds to go.
The Pewaukee native scored a team-high 27 points including eight three-pointers. His 27 marked his highest of the year, his first season with the Golden Grizzlies after transferring from Division II-Hillsdale College.
“[It was] the long rebounds that we didn’t come up with that he shook loose on, and then the one he hit,” said a deflated Lundy after the loss. “He made some tough ones.”
Gohlke’s final three-pointer in the second overtime pushed the Golden Grizzlies’ lead to 87-83, a lead they would never relinquish. The Panthers’ 91-87 loss was their first home conference loss of the year.
More Injury Woes for the Panthers
Saturday’s matchup was the Panthers’ first without starting forward Darius Duffy, who left Thursday’s contest with a finger injury. Head coach Bart Lundy announced he’ll likely miss the remainder of the season with a finger fracture.
Duffy started all nine of the team’s conference games prior to the injury, averaging 4.0 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. His impact, however, laid mostly in his abilities on the defensive end, particularly in the paint.
Stepping up on Saturday in Duffy’s absence was Faizon Fields, who recorded career highs in points with 21, and rebounds with 16. Fields became the first Panther in five years to grab at least 15 rebounds in a game.
“I wanted to win more than anything in the world,” said Fields, speaking about his career day. “Every time I saw a shot, I just wanted the ball more than anything. I gave maximum effort trying to go get the rebound trying to get my team an extra possession.”
Saturday offered a preview of how the Panthers might try to offset the loss of one of their key players – depth. Forwards Simeon Murchison and Dominic Ham each reached a season-high in minutes, the latter playing in his first game since the conference opener in Green Bay. Langston Wilson and Learic Davis may also see their roles increase with Duffy on the shelf.
“Langston was good on the defensive end, especially,” said Lundy when asked about the Panthers’ options to fill in for Duffy. “[Dominic] really gave us a spark. Learic didn’t play much in the first half, then came in and played 10 minutes in the second half and overtime. I thought it was really good.
The loss, which dropped the team to 5-5, marks the halfway point for Milwaukee’s 20-game conference season. UWM has disappointed thus far after entering the season picked to finish second in the Horizon League.
But their season has not been without adversity as the Panthers have seen eight different players miss time with injury. How they adapt might determine how far they climb up the standings, and how prepared they are for March.
“We’ve got to piece it together,” said Lundy. “We’ve had to reinvent this team six times now, so next man up.”
The Panthers hope to bounce back their next time out, a road matchup on Thursday, February 1, with Purdue Fort Wayne, who also currently sits at 5-5. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.