On Thursday, the Milwaukee Panthers will take on the Cleveland State Vikings in their first Horizon League contest of the season at 7 p.m. CT at Panther Arena.
After suffering a heartbreaking loss to Southern Miss on Saturday, the Panthers (5-4) will try to shift back into the win column. The Panthers are averaging 78.3 points per game and are shooting 47% from the field. The Panthers also rank 25th in the nation with 41.8 rebounds per game. So far this season, the Panthers have struggled with 3-point shooting and turnovers. They are shooting just 29.8% from beyond the arc and committing 13.7 turnovers per game.
Defense, 3-point shooting and minimizing turnovers will be critical for the Panthers as they aim to kick off conference play strong, especially as preseason favorites to win the title.
On the other side, the Vikings (4-5) head into conference play on a three-game losing streak. Projected to finish seventh in the preseason poll, they began the season with a mix of experience and fresh talent, featuring five returning players and nine newcomers. Â The Vikings are a tough defensive team but have struggled at times to score, averaging 64.2 ppg on 41% shooting from the field.
Panthers Key Players to Watch:
- Themus Fulks: 14.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg
- AJ Mckee: 14.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg
- Jamichael Stillwell: 12.6 ppg, 10.3 rpg
Vikings Key Players to Watch
- Tevin Smith: 11.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg
- Dylan Arnett: 9.9 ppg, 7.7 rpg
- Tahj Staveskie: 9.9 ppg, 1.9 rpg
