Milwaukee's bench celebrates during its victory over Oakland. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.
Milwaukee nearly let a comfortable lead slip away but made just enough plays down the stretch to escape with a 71-66 win over Oakland on Thursday night at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.
A 17-1 run to close the first half gave the Panthers (20-10, 13-6 Horizon) full control, but the Golden Grizzlies (13-17, 10-9) clawed their way back, cutting a 16-point second-half deficit to just three in the final seconds. With a chance to tie, Oakland got a clean look from beyond the arc, but guard AJ McKee’s strong contest forced an airball. Milwaukee guard Themus Fulks then iced the game at the free-throw line with 1 second left.
The win gives Milwaukee its third straight 20-win season under Bart Lundy, the program’s longest streak since 2002-06.
Milwaukee guard Learic Davis attempts a dunk in warmups. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Milwaukee forward Jamichael Stillwell tries to get positioning against Oakland during a free-throw attempt. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Bart Lundy has led Milwaukee to its third consecutive 20-win season. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Oakland senior guard DQ Cole (left) directs freshman guard Nassim Mashhour against Milwaukee. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Milwaukee senior forward Faizon Fields attempts a dunk in warmups. He finished with 12 points and nine rebounds against Oakland. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Milwaukee guard Aaron Franklin scored four points off the bench against Oakland. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Milwaukee guard Kentrell Pullian finished with 12 points against Oakland. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Milwaukee guard Erik Pratt finished with nine points off the bench. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Milwaukee senior guard AJ McKee (5) finished with a game-high 15 points against Oakland. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Oakland coach Greg Kampe is in his 41st year at the helm. He led the Golden Grizzles to an NCAA Tournament win over Kentucky last season. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Jamichael Stillwell celebrates Milwaukee’s victory over Oakland with his daughter. 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.
