A late-game comeback fell short for Milwaukee, as the Panthers lost 90-84 to Southern Miss at the Klotsche Center on Saturday. The Panthers dropped to 3-4 with the loss.
It was a tale of two games for Milwaukee, who trailed by 23 early in the second half, before some late-game adjustments sparked a comeback that ended a few points shy of victory.
“We sold out to the press,” said Head Coach Bart Lundy, speaking about the team’s full-court press defense late. “But we did a lot more than that… we were really getting downhill – to the rim, open threes and clean looks.”
Southern Miss came out ready from the tip – Donovan Ivory led with a run of his own, scoring the first eight points of the contest. The Panthers answered, scoring 10 straight before ceding control to the Golden Eagles, who led by 15 at the half.
“Southern Miss was a hungry team,” said Lundy. “They came in here with their backs against the walls.”
The lone bright spot early was Kentrell Pullian, who scored 13 of the Panthers’ 26 first-half points, converting all three of his three-point attempts. Milwaukee admirably contained Sun Belt preseason player of the year Austin Crowley, who scored just five first-half points.
Trailing by 23 with less than 15 minutes remaining, a 13-3 Panthers’ run brought them within striking distance. The comeback brought them within two with under two minutes before a Southern Miss alley-oop put the game out of reach.
Southern Miss, located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, improved to 3-4 with the win. The Golden Eagles entered the year as the reigning Sun Belt regular season champions, capping off last year’s improbable campaign with an appearance in the NIT tournament. Saturday’s matchup marked just the second between the two schools, the first in nearly a half-century.
The game featured two of mid-major college basketball’s top talents, Southern Miss’s Austin Crowley and Milwaukee’s BJ Freeman. But instead of the two stars taking over, Pullian and Ivory led their respective teams in the matchup.
Pullian led the way for Milwaukee with a season-high 21 points including 5-9 from three-point range. The Kaukauna-native Ivory scored a career-high 32 points, playing all 40 minutes for the Golden Eagles.
Elijah Jamison and Faizon Fields also established season-high marks in scoring for the Panthers, the latter a career-high 17 points and nine rebounds.
Southern Miss’s efforts included Crowley, who broke out for 20 second-half points in route to a quiet 25-point performance. Canadian 7-foot forward Tegra Izay grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds in the contest.
Though Saturday’s loss was a disappointment for the home team, Lundy left with some positives from the game.
“We got some confidence coming out of this,” said Lundy. “We got a good KP [Pullian], we got a good Elijah [Jamison] tonight, and we got a really good Faizon tonight. We need those three pieces to help us.”
At just 3-4 (1-4 vs. Division I opponents), the Panthers are looking to turn things around quickly with the conference slate opening next weekend.
“I don’t really think we’re anywhere close to where we can be,” said Lundy after the game. “In a week we start league play, and that’s the most important thing.”
Early season adversity has brought challenges for a team still finding its groove. The Panthers played four of their first six games on the road, including matchups on the road against Providence and 25th-ranked Colorado. How the Panthers respond to that adversity will dictate the direction of their season.
“Nobody’s going to feel sorry for you – we’ve got to keep getting better,” said Lundy. “No moral victories… we’re going to find a way to get better.”
The Panthers kick off Horizon League play on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 6 p.m. as they travel to play the projected last-place Green Bay Phoenix.