In a mid-week exhibition against Concordia University Wisconsin, the Panthers found their way to victory with a very impressive showing from newcomer Darius Roy, finishing the night with 22 points.
Milwaukee got off to a slow start, allowing the Falcons of Concordia to take an early lead. The Panthers were not comfortable as a group in the early goings of the game, as they have not competed together as a whole and have so many new faces on the roster. Roy was able to provide quite the spark as the first man off the bench for the Panthers. As the first half progressed, both teams traded buckets back and forth. At about the midway point in the half, Milwaukee was able to take their first lead of the night. Those points came from DeAndre Abram, who also made his first appearance for the Panthers, putting Milwaukee ahead 17-15 over Concordia.
Momentum rapidly shifted in favor of the Falcons, connecting on back-to-back three-pointers, silencing the crowd. This forced the Panthers to call a timeout to regroup. Following the timeout, Milwaukee was able to find some great success offensively. Sophomore Amir Allen found his way to the basket with an emphatic two-handed slam.
In the last couple minutes of the half, Roy connected from downtown, really showing his range. The Panthers late first half scoring efforts were not enough to take the lead at halftime, but the score was very tight. The Falcons led 37-36 at the break.
Milwaukee came out of the gates of the half fast and sharp on the offensive end to start the second half, taking the lead just three minutes into the half. Abram led the fast break with an emphatic dunk. As the game went on, the Panthers were able to tighten up defensively. Abram led the team with an impressive four blocks on the night and added 15 points. Roy and Abram continued to be the story of the night for Milwaukee, going on a scoring rampage.
Fifth year Senior transfer Jake Wright – who finished with 12 points – managed to hit a corner three late in the half to give the Panthers a double-digit lead. Milwaukee began to run away with the game, commanding a 16-point lead with five minutes to go in regulation. In the end, the Panthers found themselves with a nice home win, beating the Concordia Falcons by 11 points.
Four Panthers found themselves in double figures in scoring, really spreading the wealth offensively. Milwaukee’s offensive success showed, as they shot a respectable 50% from the field.
There’s a little less than a week for fans to get familiar with this new Milwaukee roster, as the Panthers embark on a new season Tuesday, Nov. 6th. They open up on the road at Boston College.