The UWM men’s basketball team advanced to the Horizon League Championship game with a 73-66 win over UW-Green Bay on Saturday night. Senior Jordan Aaron had 28 points as the Panthers made a statement win over the rival Phoenix.
UWM beat Valparaiso the night before, after beating Detroit at home in the opening round of the horizon league tournament earlier in the week. UWM was 1-1 against Green Bay on the season, with the sole win coming in Green Bay last month.
“They are making a believer out of me,” Milwaukee head coach Rob Jeter said. “They just keep battling. We’ve been through some adversity that we’ve overcome. To come into this environment, playing the best team in the league in Green Bay and the way they performed in that second half … when things weren’t quite going our way nut we just found a way.
Aaron helped send the game to overtime late in regulation with a jumper and pair of free throws. Jordan also collected five rebounds, two assists, and two steals in the win. However it was Matt Tiby who helped ice the game. Tiby scored six of his nine points and two of his ten rebounds in the overtime period.
“It’s just having an attack mentality from my guys. They keep me going and tell me to keep on attacking,” Aaron said. “I just have to tip my hat to these guys sitting next to me and those guys in the locker room. Without them none of this is possible. Me scoring – that doesn’t win games. Getting stops, getting guys open, playing as a team, that’s what wins games. I just have to tip my hat to my teammates. They just did a tremendous job tonight.”
Green Bay’s Greg Mays led the Phoenix with 17 points and nine rebounds, while Horizon League Player of the Year Keifer Sykes had 15.
Milwaukee now heads to Dayton, Ohio to take on the Wright State Raiders in the Horizon League Championship game. The game is scheduled for 6pm and will be broadcast on ESPN.