The 3rd Man In

Panthers pull out the victory

It has been a rough couple of weeks for the Milwaukee Panthers, but the losing is finally over. The Panthers (14-9, 4-5) ended their three-game losing streak, knocking off the Wright State Raiders 68-64 at the Klotsche Center.

“Our kids tonight responded,” said Milwaukee head coach Rob Jeter. “We challenged them, obviously, after our last performance, just in the sense that we want to battle, we want to fight, and we want to show some pride and some effort.

“I thought tonight we did that against a team you know is going to battle you to the end. We had to match their fight, and for the most part we did.”

The Panthers had five different players score in double digits in their victory. Kyle Kelm and Jordan Aaron led the way with 13 points apiece, while Austin Arians and Malcolm Moore each added 12. Steve McWhorter also finished the night with 10 points.

Milwaukee dominated the first half as they went into halftime with a 38-23 lead. They shot 53.6 percent from the field, but continued to struggle from behind the three-point line shooting only 25 percent.

The Raiders did not quit though as they outscored the Panthers 41-30 in the final 20 minutes of regulation to make the game interesting at the end.

Kelm sealed the deal for Milwaukee with a pair of free throws with only 10.7 seconds left, as the Panthers were only up by three before the successful trip at the charity strip.

Milwaukee fell off slightly in the second half finishing the game at 42.1 percent shooting. They only made three three’s in the game on 15 attempts, but 38 points in the lane was the difference for the Panthers.

“I’m just proud these guys have been able to respond. We’ve been through a lot this season, and we seem to have found a way to rally and get back,” Jeter said. “This was one of those where we weren’t feeling really good about ourselves. Tonight the guys really played tough and I’m proud of them for that.”

Up next the Panthers will play the Oakland Golden Grizzles on Sunday at 12 o’clock at the Klotsche Center.

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