Milwaukee gets a signature win with a convincing victory over Akron
The Panthers stayed undefeated within city limits by outracing the Akron Zips 100-81. Milwaukee led off the MKE Tip-Off with an all-around complete game. Additionally, this was by far the most engaging and action-packed game on the docket at Fiserv Forum. With back-to-back trouncings, the Panthers improved to 8-4 overall, including a spotless record in the Klotsche, Panther Arena, and Fiserv Forum, home triumvirate. The loss dropped Akron to 6-3 overall.
Everyone and anyone joined in on the fun with five players in double figures. The charge was led again by the nation’s leader in rebounds, Jamicheal Stillwell. “The Rim Reaper” tallied 17 points and 18 rebounds against the Zips. Themus Fulks (“Fulks Around and Find Out”) joined in on the fun with 23 points and 7 assists. Kentrell Pullian continued his hot streak as well with 19 points and 7 rebounds. Akron’s Johnson & Johnson duo (Tavari and Nate) kept the game close with a combination of 41 points, 4 steals, and 8 rebounds.
The Good
Rebounding: Stillwell is second in the nation in rebounding with 12.1 boards a game. Milwaukee continues to hold the second slot in the country, in rebounding margin. But the entire team has made this an area of strength. MKE is ranked 6th and 14th in the nation in offensive and defensive rebounding, respectively. On Monday, Stillwell collected national and conference honors. “The Rim Reaper” was named the Lute Olson National Player of the Week along with the same honor in the Horizon League.
The Bench Mob: The game changed once Erik Pratt reported to the scorer’s table. The redshirt senior swingman added 14 points (3-of-4 from behind the arc), three rebounds, and three steals. His return has added another dimension to the lineup. Another pleasant surprise was Danilo Jovanovich, who came off the bench and immediately joined the ruckus in the paint. In under ten minutes of action, DJ scored 8 points and harassed the Zips’ frontcourt players.
Free Throws: The Panthers have continued their improvement from the charity stripe, hitting 15-20 on Sunday afternoon.
The Bad
It was great to have the Panthers play at the Fiserv Forum. But because of the date (exam week), there was no band or student attendance. This would have made a good atmosphere even better.
Turnovers: The pace of play factors into this, but 22 turnovers on Sunday is a bit too high. The Zips scored 34 points off these errors.
Analytics
Shooting Efficiency: The game was decided by the wide margin MKE held in the following categories.
- Field Goals (FG%): 57.8% (37-64), significantly higher than Akron’s 47.2%.
- Three-Point Shooting (3PT%): 57.9% (11-19), more efficient than Akron’s 40.0%.
- Free Throws (FT%): 75.0% (15-20), compared to Akron’s 45.5%
Offensive and Defensive Players of the Game
Offense: Kentrell Pullian
Defense: Jamicheal Stillwell
Next Up
The Panthers get a seven-day break and will return to action on December 22nd vs. North Central. The Cardinals are a Division III team out of Naperville, Illinois, and are currently 8-2 on the season.
