The Milwaukee Panthers earned a split this week on their Michigan road trip. This road trip had some bumps along the way while exposing some offensive weaknesses.
The “fun” started Wednesday night when MKE took their lumps again at Oakland with a 65-49 loss. Milwaukee had only 2 players in double figures, as Jamichael Stillwell and Themus Fulks both contributed 14 points. But Milwaukee never got in the flow offensively and fell behind by as much as 18 points. The season’s low point total was just as frustrating as another road loss at the O’Rena. The Panthers shot 36% and appeared to be in sleep mode all evening.
The Grizzlies’s frontcourt dominated the paint and game from tip to buzzer. Allen Mukeba (15 points, 9 rebounds), Buru Naivalurua (10 points, 3 blocks, and 3 rebounds), and Isaiah Jones (11 points, 5 offensive boards) all made life difficult for the Panthers. Not to be outdone, guard Jaylen Jones added 14 points, 3 steals, and 7 rebounds.
The Panthers won the second leg of the road trip, grinding out a commanding and sometimes a bit ugly 64-56 win at Detroit Mercy. The Panthers were led by AJ McKee’s 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals. The Double-Double Extroadaire, Stillwell, collected his 10th of the season with an 11-point, 13-rebound effort.
Detroit Mercy’s Orlando Lovejoy paced the Titans with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Unfortunately, Lovejoy left with an ankle injury, and his availability for the Titan’s next game is up in the air.
The Good
MKE Tough: Milwaukee did bounce back against Detroit Mercy after the dismal performance against Oakland. Gritty, road conference dubs are never easy to come by, so the Panthers were happy and relieved to escape the state of Michigan with a split.
Charity Stripe: The improvement from the free throw line continues. Milwaukee shot a combined 25 out of 34 for a modest 73% against Oakland and Detroit Mercy.
The Bad
Parking Brake: The Panthers only scored 28 fast break points in 2 games. With MKE’s style of play, that total won’t suffice as long as the cold shooting from behind the arc continues.
The 3-Point Line: Speaking of three-pointers, the Panthers shot pretty bad from deep in the Wolverine State. The 3-point line could have been the half-court line based on the stats. Last week, MKE shot a combined 8-42 from behind the line.
Players of the Week
Offensive: “Fulks Around and Finds Out” scored 14 points in both games, along with 10 rebounds and 3 steals.
Defensive: Johnny Lovelace, Jr. “Double Cero” makes every minute count off the bench. In 31 minutes of action last week, Lovelace. Jr. snatched 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks and was a constant irritant on the defensive end.
Next Up
Milwaukee plays at Purdue Fort Wayne this Wednesday and home vs. Green Bay on Saturday afternoon. At the time of print, the Green Bay Packers will play at the Philadelphia Eagles, and it is rumored that they will play on Sunday. Therefore, Panther fans should pack the “Arena” for the Battle of I-43.
