Watching a team struggle is a strange experience. The season starts with hope and anticipation and slowly turns into a never-ending nightmare.
When everything seems to be going against a losing team, a certain suspicion can turn into listlessness. But out of despair comes hope. The team asked, “Why not us? What do we have to lose?” A dynamic team emerged from rock bottom, a team that fought for pride and fought for every possession.
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The Milwaukee Panthers had lost seven of eight games before beating Youngstown State on the road on Jan. 24. In the second half on the last Friday of the month, UWM held Horizon League leader Wright State to a close with eight scholarship players.
The Panthers won the turnover battle, attempted eight more shots than the Raiders and were nearly tied in rebounding. However, the league leaders proved why they are the best in the HL, winning 76-69.
“Give them credit,” Milwaukee coach Bart Lundy said of Wright State after the game. “They’re a good team. They’re physical, they rebound, they put a lot of pressure on your perimeter.”
WSU, ranked No. 7 in the conference preseason poll, has won nine of its last 10 games to sit one game ahead.
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timely three pointer
Wright State didn’t take many 3-pointers on Friday night, finishing 7-27 from beyond the arc. But the three-pointers they hit proved crucial.
The Raiders took control over an eight-minute stretch of the final four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half.
Before the buzzer in the first half, Dominic Pangonis hit a three-pointer, and the Raiders went on a 13-5 run. The visiting team led 36-26 at halftime.
Early in the second half, sharpshooter Solomon Callaghan hit two long-range shots to extend Wright State’s advantage to a game-high 19 points. The Raiders outscored the Panthers 25-8 at halftime.
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But the Panthers were resilient, shorthanded, and used aggressive defense to pull off the comeback. The Raiders were held scoreless for more than eight minutes as the home team trailed.
UWM big man Sekou Konneh had a huge block and a great dunk on this run.
Despite Milwaukee’s defensive efforts, they couldn’t muster enough shots. After an 11-0 spurt, the Panthers made a field goal over the next four minutes and Wright State found stability on defense.
Lundy viewed the intermission minutes as a turning point, noting that the gap was too great to overcome. “It really frustrated us. You can’t blame our guys for their effort. I thought everyone was fighting and we were a little tired.”
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Then came the knockout punches. After Milwaukee narrowed the gap to five points, Wright State’s leading scorer, freshman guard Michael Cooper, scored three consecutive long-range points to put the league leader ahead by 16 points. Two of those shots came off offensive rebounds.
“Those two offensive rebounds were kicked out,” Lundy said. “We call it a dagger three. You take those little pieces away and we play better.”
For Wright State coach Clint Sargent, Milwaukee’s second-half offense highlighted the improvements his team still needs to make.
“There’s going to be highs and lows in a game,” Sargent said after the win over Milwaukee. “Everybody has really good players. Every coach in this league is really good. They’re going to respond. But you want to see those bad moments not be so bad.”
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spin spin
Injuries have plagued the Panthers all year, and it’s only getting worse.
Veteran starters John Lovelace Jr., Seth Hubbard and Danilo Yovanovic will be out this year. Starting center Fayzon Fields has missed eight straight games with a bone injury in his ankle and has no timetable for his return.
Reserve forward Simon Murchison was out Friday night, and backup big man Tate McKenzie played just two minutes before being unable to continue.
With so much injury turmoil, Lundy has a unique perspective on his uncertain lineup.
“We’ve been together as a group for about two weeks now,” the Milwaukee coach said. “It sounds weird to say it, but we have a lot of different teams. The guys are learning how to play as a team and we’re doing different things defensively.”
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“If we can keep this team [together]we will continue to get better, and in the end we will be dangerous. “
Lundy also noted how a shortage of players has slowed down the pace of play. According to Bart Tovik, the Panthers are averaging 71.2 possessions per game against non-conference opponents, after averaging just 67.2 possessions per game since the New Year.
The Wright State game featured 73 possessions, marking Milwaukee’s fifth consecutive loss in a game of at least 70 possessions.
“We haven’t been able to play at our pace since I’ve been here,” Lundy said. “We’re not physical enough; we’re playing against seven or eight guys. We have to be a little smarter and run the ball more.”
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It was an unforeseen but necessary adjustment for a team that couldn’t play as fast as past Bart Lundy teams.
new horizons league contenders
Another week, another contender in the Horizon League.
Milwaukee is a preseason favorite and is off to a 3-0 start in the league. Green Bay and Northern Kentucky then jumped to the top of the list with five-game winning streaks and four-game winning streaks respectively.
Now, the consistency of Wright State and Oakland — the only teams in the Horizon League without back-to-back losses — helps separate them.
Wright State stands out because of a significantly improved defense in its second year under head coach Clint Sargent. In Scott Nagy’s final season in 2023-24, the program ranks 33rd nationally in offensive efficiency and 348th in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.
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The Raiders improved to No. 175 in ADJD this year — the highest in the offense-heavy Horizon League — including top-100 steals and blocks.
Linebacker TJ Burch is the key to Wright State’s defensive resurgence. The sophomore ranks fifth among Division I men’s college basketball players with 2.85 steals per game. Burch had four steals against Milwaukee.
Sargent praised the Ball State transfer as a leader on both ends of the floor.
“He has very good ball instincts and is entering a niche,” Sargent told the Dayton Daily News in December. “We said, ‘Hey, if you can lead us in steals and assists, you’re going to be a great player.’ He took that to heart.”
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Birch’s performance also helped the development of his teammates, especially guard Michael Cooper.
“I hate [going against him] In practice, but it’s cool to be on his team on game night,” Cooper said.
Along with top prospects Cameron Boozer, AJ DiBanstad and Darren Peterson, Cooper is another indispensable freshman. The guard leads WSU with 14.9 points per game and is back in rhythm after missing four games earlier in the league.
Although the starting lineup typically includes four underclassmen, the Raiders performed like a veteran team. They declared themselves the favorite in the Horizon League in the final month of the regular season.