Overview: Panthers drop Horizon League final
The Panthers' 2023-24 season came to a heartbreaking close on Tuesday after an 83-76 loss to Oakland University.
Milwaukee’s improbable Horizon League championship run fell 7 points short in Indianapolis as the Panthers dropped 83-76 to Oakland University. The Golden Grizzlies advanced to the NCAA Tournament with the victory.
The year saw Milwaukee record another 20-win season, the first time in nearly two decades that the team reached the threshold in back-to-back years.
Panthers set the tone with battle down low
The battle was fought down low early with 34 of the 70 first-half points scored in the paint. The Panthers limited the sharpshooting Golden Grizzlies to just five successful attempts from three, and made only three themselves.
Despite a shaky finish to the half, the Panthers positioned themselves for a characteristic second-half surge, trailing just 37-33 at the break.
While the first half was played with physicality near the basket, it paled in comparison to the second. Some 22 fouls were committed in the latter period.
The Panthers continued to pound the basket coming out of the break, entering the bonus just 3 minutes into the half. But after successfully neutralizing Oakland’s three-point shooting, the Golden Grizzlies adopted Milwaukee’s strategy and subsequently drew big men Faizon Fields, Aaron Franklin and Darius Duffy into foul trouble.
The Panthers had no answers for Horizon League Player of the Year Trey Townsend, who torched Milwaukee for a career-high 38 points.
“He just ate us apart,” said a deflated Erik Pratt after the season-ending loss. “We just didn’t have an answer.”
Oakland took a game-high 7-point lead after Aaron Franklin committed two fouls in one swoop, one common and one technical. Milwaukee responded by retaking the lead, holding it until Faizon Fields fouled out with 4:43 remaining. Milwaukee never led after Fields fouled out.
The Panthers relied on their guard trio for scoring in Tuesday night’s game, as Erik Pratt, Kentrell Pullian and BJ Freeman combined for 45 points. Langston Wilson reached double figures in the final game of his collegiate career.
Also contributing for Milwaukee was Aaron Franklin, who worked in 7 points and 9 rebounds around a second-half ankle injury. His 22 minutes was his highest total since Feb. 23.
Year Two of the Bart Lundy era: success or failure?
The Panthers endured a plethora of injuries this year, finally nearing full health in the final stretch. The result? A six-game win streak and just 7 points short of an NCAA tournament berth.
“The 20 wins is significant,” said Lundy. “We finished the season winning 7 of our last 8 games… So the progress we made was excellent toward the end of the season.”
Oakland head coach Greg Kampe praised Lundy for his work with the Panthers.
“What they did, how well they played to get here and what they did tonight is a testament to him,” said Kampe. “BJ is a great player. Pullian was unbelievable tonight. We beat a hell of a team.”
But even as the team continued to make strides toward their biggest goal, they still fell short of their own expectations.
Lundy continued, “I don’t think it was a complete success from the time we ended last year to now. I think we’ve had a lot of missed opportunities in the offseason – chemistry and some of the things that we can control.”
After years of mediocrity, Lundy has brought the Panthers back to heights unseen in nearly two decades. Despite their lengthy injury list, the Panthers progressed toward their goal, the hallowed Horizon League title.
“He’s done a great job as a coach first and foremost, just building the program up,” said Pratt. “We’ve got high expectations and have a bright future coming in.”
With the Panthers set to lose just three role players in Dominic Ham, Langston Wilson and Angelo Stuart, Milwaukee is primed for a reversal of fortunes in the 2025 Horizon League tournament.
Lundy believes this season cannot be considered a success unless they capitalize on the experience gained and turn it into a Horizon League championship next year.
“We want to win a championship and I think these guys are hungry for that,” said Lundy.
“Maybe hungrier than we were a year ago.”