Milwaukee braced for a battle against a determined Green Bay squad on Saturday at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, and the Phoenix didn’t disappoint. Despite their struggles this season, Green Bay pushed the Panthers throughout the contest before Milwaukee pulled away for a 70-59 victory in front of 3,507 energetic fans.
Despite the stronger effort, the Phoenix (2-16, 0-7 Horizon League) suffered their 13th straight loss and their ninth in the last 11 meetings against Milwaukee.
The Panthers (12-6, 5-2 Horizon League) were without star forward Jamichael Stillwell, who averages 13.4 points and a nation-leading 11.8 rebounds per game. Stillwell missed the game due to a fractured middle finger on his left hand, an injury sustained in Wednesday’s loss to Purdue-Fort Wayne. However, he anticipates a quick return and expects to play later this week.
Senior guard Themus Fulks paced Milwaukee with 14 points. Senior guard Kentrell Pullian recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while senior guard Erik Pratt and junior guard John Lovelace Jr. contributed 10 points apiece.
The game was far more competitive than Milwaukee’s dominant 88-67 win over Green Bay on Dec. 11. The Phoenix showed improvement with adjustments and the addition of 6-foot-9 freshman forward Yonatan Levy. Levy led Green Bay with 15 points and eight rebounds in 30 minutes.
“Green Bay has gotten a lot better and they added a couple of players,” Milwaukee coach Bart Lundy said. “They had a week to prep. We saw some different offensive stuff. The 1-3-1 (zone) at the end we hadn’t seen. It’s like any league game or rivalry game … it’s going to be a battle.”
Milwaukee vs. Green Bay: Photo Gallery
