Milwaukee Panthers guard Learic Davis celebrates during the Panthers' victory over Wright State. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.
Themus Fulks took over when it mattered most. The senior guard notched a double-double with 21 points and 12 assists, guiding Milwaukee to a hard-fought 88-80 overtime win over Wright State on Friday night at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.
The Panthers (17-9, 10-5 Horizon League) erased a 14-point first-half deficit, clawing their way back to tighten the conference race. With five games left in the regular season, Milwaukee sits just a half-game out of second place and two games behind the league leader. The win also secured the Panthers’ first season sweep of Wright State in seven years.
Milwaukee appeared to have control late, but Wright State’s Alex Huibregtse drilled a 3-pointer with nine seconds left in regulation, forcing overtime. Instead of folding, the Panthers responded with authority, scoring the first eight points of the extra period and never looking back.
“Proud of the guys,” Milwaukee coach Bart Lundy said. “To me, that is the best offensive team in our league, and they present some real challenges. We just got contribution after contribution from different guys. It’s February. That’s a really good team. A really experienced team, and we gutted it out.”
Milwaukee senior point guard Themus Fulks finished with a double-double on Friday night. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Milwaukee TV play-by-play broadcaster Wayne Larrivee talks with the officials before the game against Wright State on Friday. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Aaron Franklin finished with 11 points, four rebounds and three steals in 28 minutes for the Panthers on Friday. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Milwaukee coach Bart Lundy yells out instructions to his players during the Panthers’ game against Wright State. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Milwaukee senior guard AJ McKee finished with 12 points against Wright State. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Milwaukee freshman guard Austin Villarreal attempts a dunk in warm ups. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Milwaukee senior guard Kentrell Pullian tallied 10 points and six rebounds in the team’s win over Wright State. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Wright State coach Clint Sargent watches on as his team forced overtime against the Panthers on Friday. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Erik Pratt finished with seven points in the Panthers’ overtime victory. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.
Stella Nastulski is a junior attending the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, studying Journalism, Advertising and Media studies. Nastulski has enjoyed creating content for local teams, including Milwaukee Area Technical College’s men’s basketball team and other University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee athletics teams. She specializes in photography and social media management. Follow Nastulski on X (Twitter) @stellanastulski.
