Milwaukee senior guard Kentrell Pullian finished with 11 points and four steals. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.
A late surge from the Milwaukee Panthers erased a double-digit deficit and allowed them to tie the game at 70 points with under four minutes remaining. But despite their best efforts, they couldn’t land the go-ahead bucket, falling to Purdue Fort Wayne, 81-79, Sunday afternoon at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.
Milwaukee (15-8, 8-4 Horizon League) came out strong, but Purdue Fort Wayne (16-8, 9-4 Horizon League) proved resilient, forcing the Panthers into a battle late in the second half. After narrowing the gap to just one point in the final moments, Milwaukee had one last chance — a half-court heave at the buzzer — but the shot fell short, and the Mastodons held on for the win.
“Credit to Purdue Fort Wayne. They played better basketball than we did tonight,” Milwaukee coach Bart Lundy said. “The way we are built, we can’t give up 81 points on our home floor. We scored 79 points and that should be enough the way we are built.”
Milwaukee junior forward Jamichael Stillwell matchups up against PFW junior forward Eric Mulder. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Milwaukee sophomore guard Esyah Pippa-White warms up before Sunday’s game against PFW. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.The Milwaukee Panthers’ white jerseys features a retro logo the university used from 1965-84. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Milwaukee senior guard Kentrell Pullian finished with 11 points and four steals. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Milwaukee Panthers senior guard Erik Pratt pulls up for a 3 against PFW. He finished with 13 points off the bench. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Wayne Larrivee (left) and Adrian Tigert, a Milwaukee Panthers legend from 2001-06, called the game on ESPN+. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Milwaukee Panthers senior guard AJ McKee finished with 12 points against PFW. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Milwaukee senior forward Faizon Fields had 13 points and nine rebounds on Sunday. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.
Check out photo galleries from the Milwaukee Panthers’ season here.
Stella Nastulski is a junior attending the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, studying Journalism, Advertising and Media studies. Nastulski has enjoyed creating content for local teams, including Milwaukee Area Technical College’s men’s basketball team and other University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee athletics teams. She specializes in photography and social media management. Follow Nastulski on X (Twitter) @stellanastulski.