Two teams vying for a first-round conference tournament bye on a late-February Saturday night had the makings of a quality matchup. The contest, which featured 19 lead changes, lived up to its billing as an Angelo Stuart 3-pointer with a second remaining gave UWM a dramatic 73-72 victory.
The teams exchanged baskets for much of the contest, leading to a tense 90 seconds to close the game. With just over a minute to go, an Erik Pratt floater rolled around the rim before dropping in to cut the Norse lead to just one point. A Trey Robinson free throw upped their advantage to two before the Panthers forced a rare backcourt violation.
After a sequence of missed shots and turnovers from both sides, the Panthers held possession with nine seconds left in the contest, setting the stage for Stuart’s heroics. A Northern Kentucky half-court shot at the buzzer nearly flipped the script in the final second, but Milwaukee came away with the win.
The redshirt senior, averaging 4.0 points per game, entered the game and scored just three points prior to his late-game dramatics.
“He knew he was going to make it,” said teammate BJ Freeman after the game. “He said it before it happened. He said if he gets it, it’s going in.”
The decision to put Stuart on the floor with the game on the line may have been a surprising one, but Head Coach Bart Lundy saw beyond the in-game numbers.
“He does that — what you just saw is what he does,” said Lundy on his senior guard. “When the game’s on the line, he makes the shot. So proud of him.”
Even Stuart himself knew the shot was going in.
“I knew if I caught the ball clean, it had a good chance of going in,” said Stuart after the game. “It felt really good coming out of my hands.”
The intensity was palpable from both teams early on, particularly on the defensive end. The teams exchanged defensive stops for much of the first 10 minutes, combining to make just 13 of the first 37 field goal attempts. Milwaukee had scored just two points nearly five minutes into the contest.
The Panthers trailed 36-35 at the half.
“I thought tonight was good,” said Lundy, speaking about his team’s defensive efforts. “There were a couple times where we kind of caved, but for the most part I thought we were really good tonight.”
The teams continued their back-and-forth affair nearly all second half — no team led by more than five points all half. The two teams set themselves up for a dramatic final minute, after being locked within a few points for the first 39.
Stuart and the Panthers delivered.
Much of the Panther side of the back-and-forth was led by BJ Freeman, who led all scorers with 26 points. His 26 matched his season-high in conference play this year.
Freeman began the game on the bench after missing practice for five days with a high fever. The preseason first-team all-conference member didn’t feel any additional pressure returning with such high stakes.
“I don’t really think it’s too much pressure — just going out there, having fun and just enjoying it, playing as a team,” said Freeman.
A key performer in the game was Langston Wilson, who bounced back after scoring just two points over the previous two games. Wilson reached double digits in rebounds for just the second time all year, adding seven points and two blocks in the process. His +8 margin while on the floor led the team.
One more player crucial in the comeback, Kentrell Pullian, had two big defensive plays that set up Stuart’s game-winner.
The Norse were led by preseason first-team all-Horizon League member Marques Warrick, who scored 20 points to lead his team. Trey Robinson added 15 points and a team-high six rebounds.
Saturday marked the unofficial beginning of the final stretch of the season — a stretch that features four of their final five games at home. The Panthers are now deadlocked in a three-way tie for fifth place in the Horizon League, alongside their two most recent opponents, Northern Kentucky and Cleveland State. The top four teams receive byes and host their first game in March’s conference tournament.
“I thought this was the pivotal game for us to stay in that fight,” said Lundy. “Three of the last four at home — it’s a favorable schedule, and we need to fight for the top four.”
The Panthers’ pivotal final stretch continues this Friday, when Youngstown State comes to town. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at the UWM Panther Arena.