For the third week in a row, Milwaukee (13-7, 6-3 Horizon League) went 1-1 during the weekly conference slate. The Panthers beat undermanned Youngstown State (currently 12-8, 7-3 Horizon League) on Friday 79-64. On Sunday, Milwaukee’s 9-game home winning streak came to an end with a heart-stopping 2-point loss to Robert Morris (13-7, 5-4 Horizon League), 81-79.
The result puts Milwaukee in 4th place in the Horizon League. Up next is a gauntlet of games that tell a lot about this 2025 squad. We know this team has the talent to win the conference. But we also know that their Achilles heels (turnovers and 3-point shooting) can easily result in a loss with any school left on the schedule. As usual, the road to Indianapolis will be a difficult one. That journey will be a feasible option with a top-4 seed, a first-round bye, and one game at home for a ticket to the Hoosier State. MKE currently sits in 4th place in the conference standings.
Three-point shooting has been a feast-or-famine situation for Milwaukee all season. On Friday vs. Youngstown State, the Panthers were held without a made three-pointer for the first time since 2014. “It made be one of the first times in my career that one of my teams has not made a three,” commented Coach Lundy.
But led by Faizon Fields’s 21 points and 9 rebounds, along with Jamichael Stillwell’s usual double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds), and contributions off the bench from Danilo Jovanovich (10 points, 9 rebounds), the Penguins were bullied into submission. Lundy stated, “I thought Faizon was just phenomenal. That’s the first team, all-league Faizon, we thought we would have all year.” Themus Fulks also added 18 points and orchestrated the assault in the paint. Youngstown State was led by guard Jason Nelson and forward Chris Carroll, with 14 points each. But MKE’s dominance in the paint was highlighted by allowing only 3 rebounds to the Penguins’ 7-3 sophomore center, Gabe Dynes.Â
On Sunday against Robert Morris, turnovers were the primary culprit. Milwaukee committed 19 and appeared to be out of sync the entire game despite roaring back from a 14-point deficit late. “We have to stop shot faking and jabbing,” said \Lundy. “I would rather turn it over at the rim instead of giving them the ball.”
Additionally, shot selection and decision-making errors doomed the Panthers in the final few minutes. At 0.6 seconds left, Milwaukee did not get off a shot for the tie. Jamichael Stillwell led the Panthers with 26 points and 7 rebounds while battling the Colonials bigs for 33 minutes. Coach Lundy shared his thoughts about Stillwell’s effort and the overall game:
The Good
Profitable Paint Touches: Milwaukee scored 62 points in the paint vs. Youngstown State and 42 vs Robert Morris.
The Bench Mob: The Panthers continue to get valuable production off the bench. On Friday vs the Penguins, the bench combined for 21 points and 17 rebounds and added another 20 points and 11 rebounds on Sunday.
The Bad
Missed Freebies: Milwaukee shot just 46.4% (13-28) against Youngstown State and 71.4% (15-21) against Robert Morris. Although Sunday’s performance was much better, every miss is amplified in a close game.
Protecting the Rock: The aforementioned turnovers are still a recurring issue. Milwaukee committed 16 turnovers against Youngstown State and 19 against Robert Morris. The Colonials took advantage, scoring 30 points off turnovers.
KP: Milwaukee’s third-leading scorer, Kentrell Pullian, only took 11 shots all weekend. The Panthers will need KP to be locked, loaded, and aggressive down the stretch in conference play.
Players of the Week
Offense: Jamichael Stillwell scored 26 points and 7 rebounds on Sunday. Every point and rebound earned was a grind. On Friday, he added to his double-double resume with a 10-point, 10-rebound performance.
Defense: Faizon Fields had an impactful weekend. He scored 21 points, 2 blocks, and 9 rebounds on Friday. He cooled off against the Colnials but still added 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals.
Bench: Danilo Jovanovich had a strong weekend off the bench. After Friday’s game vs. Youngstown State, Coach Lundy added, “It was good to see because we see that every day in practice. In our first half, when we were struggling to score, he really carried us there for a little bit.”. Jovanovich scored 10 points and 7 rebounds on Friday and contributed 5 points and 5 rebounds in the congested paint on Sunday.

Up Next: The Panthers spend the week on the road, battling Wright State on Wednesday and Northern Kentucky on Friday.