• Panthers hit the skids hard

    For the first time since the Clinton administration, the Wright State Raiders have won a basketball game in Milwaukee against the Milwaukee Panthers, 64-49.

    The Raiders were led by Cole Darling as well as newcomer Jerran Young off the bench with 18 points apiece. Milwaukee only had Paris Gulley in double figures, and only 10 at that.

    "Wright State is just not going to allow you to play a certain way," head coach Rob Jeter said after the game. Milwaukee had a difficult time getting anyone going, which stood out worse against a strong defensive team like Wright State.

    Jeter called Wright State the best man-to-man defensive team in the Horizon League, but pointed out that both teams played sloppily.

    In a night that honored the 2002-03 Milwaukee Panthers, the first team to go to the NCAA Tournament from UWM, the fans were treated to a team going in the opposite direction from that club whose best days were still ahead. In the 2010-11 season, rob Jeter's Milwaukee Panthers stormed to a 9-0 second-half run to steal the Horizon League Championship and the #1 seed in the Horizon League tournament; just two seasons later, Milwaukee has an uphill battle just to reach double-digit wins and looks like a sure-fire ninth-place finish, their first since Ric Cobb was head coach.

    That was also in the Clinton administration.

    The 2002-03 team isn't entirely different from these 2012-13 Panthers. The two seasons bookend the 2003-2012 era of the U.S. Cellular Arena. They both feature high-flying, exciting players. But the 2002-03 Panthers will always be known for their winning. The 2012-13 Panthers will not.

    Milwaukee had more turnovers than assists for seemingly the fiftieth time this season. With 11 assists to 16 turnovers, Milwaukee allowed the Raiders to score 15 points off turnovers - the difference in the game. Wright State also got 32 points off the bench, spearheaded by the 18 out of Jerran Young.

    The Panthers went down 10-2 early and never could get the game closer than five after tying the game at 13 and trailing 18-16 at the 9:20 mark of the first half.

    "At times our effort looks a little lackluster," Jeter said following the game. The Panthers seems "a step behind" for much of the game.

    Wright State was able to keep Milwaukee at arms' length despite also having an under-one assist-to-turnover ratio. The Raiders got seven straight points out of Cole Darling to go up 60-45 and that was the game.

    Milwaukee didn't have any extremely long stretches without baskets, but they did have long stretches where they'd only have one basket or a free throw.

    The normally three-point happy Panthers took only 16 three-pointers on the game, making five of them. They allowed the Raiders to get to the line 19 times to their 13.

    Milwaukee returns to action Tuesday night against Loyola.
    Comments 1 Comment
    1. uwmpantherboy's Avatar
      uwmpantherboy -
      I see the same type of play..the same mistakes game after game after game.