NKU men’s basketball welcomed the second ranked Milwaukee Panthers to Truist Arena on Friday. The seats filled quickly with the Norse faithful and student athletes set to be recognized for their academic excellence.
Milwaukee won the tip and their offense started quickly. Kentrell Pullian hit back to back threes for the Panthers to quickly put six points on the board for the visiting team. NKU would get some offense going as Keeyan Itejere got a floater to go and Trey Robinson laid the ball up after a post spin. Milwaukee’s good shooting would continue as Pullian pulled another three and cashed it to put the Panthers up 11-4 only four minutes in.
The struggles for NKU would continue, as a turnover on an inbounds play would lead to free throws. The Panthers would split the pair but grabbed their own miss that led to more easy points and a quick double digit lead for Milwaukee.
NKU would find a spark from Dan Gherezgher as he orchestrated the offense with beautiful passing, one to Itejere off a pick and roll, the other a bullet pass to Josh Dilling for a timely three to cut the lead to five.
Milwaukee would again find an answer. AJ McKee would make a shot over the outstretched arms of Itejere. An Erik Pratt three and Themus Fulks floater would swell the lead back up to eight for the Panthers.
Keeyan Itejere would come out of the under 12 minute timeout aggressive as he scored four points before Fulks returned the favor with a bucket of his own. A Pratt floater and Fulks contested layup right through the chest of Sam Vinson would give Milwaukee more life. Vinson would not be bested as he went right back at the conference foe with a nice dish off the pick and roll to LJ Wells and a vicious block on Fulks to send the game to media timeout.
John Lovelace would put the Panthers up 31-20 after a contested layup. Cesar Tchilombo would find himself open in the paint for the Norse to score a basket that marked his second field goal of the season.
That is when the wheels would start to fall off for the Norse. McKee would score seven straight points after Jamichael Stillwell sank a couple free throws. Vinson and Robinson would get shots to go but a paint score from Danilo Jovanovich would send the Panthers to the locker room with a 41-26 advantage at the half.
Halftime was filled with student athletes celebrating academic success and the 2024 Horizon League championship for the baseball team, but men’s basketball did not have much to celebrate at the break.
A Randall Pettus II bank shot started the second half scoring for the Norse. Stillwell would respond with five straight points. NKU needed some energy and they got just that from Itjerere, who threw down what could be the dunk of the season as he muscled his way through contact to throw the ball in for a SportsCenter-worthy dunk.
Pettus II and Robinson would cut the lead to 13, but Pratt and Jovanovich would send the lead back up to 18.
The next play Faizon Fields got an offensive rebound and scored to put the Panthers up 20. They would never look back from there as the Panthers carried that momentum to the buzzer in a 79-59 win.
NKU dropped their fifth straight game, three of those at home — the first time the Norse have lost three straight at home in nearly a decade.
NKU struggled to rebound, losing the rebounding battle 33-20, 11 of those being offensive rebounds that led Milwaukee to dominate second chance points 15-6. Stillwell and Pullian dominated for the Panthers as they combined for 29 points.
The Norse will try to get things back on track on Thursday on the road against the Detroit Mercy. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and can be viewed on ESPN+.