MILWAUKEE - J.J. Panoske scored the first 10 points of the game to set the tone on "Senior Day" and a big second half propelled the Milwaukee men's basketball team to a 98-85 victory over UIC in the regular-season finale Sunday afternoon at UWM Panther Arena.
 
"UIC has been playing pretty well down the stretch and I thought the first half was really indicative of how they have been showing up to games," Milwaukee head coach Rob Jeter said. "They are loose, they are confident and their freshmen players have been playing like upperclassmen."
 
The Panthers (19-12, 10-8 Horizon League) led the Flames (5-24, 3-15 Horizon League) by as many as six points early, but found themselves down by a bucket at intermission and ahead by just three with 11minutes remaining. But, a 10-1 spurt gave them control and a 17-4 run built the lead to as many as 20 down the stretch. The 98 points was also a season-high against an NCAA Division I opponent.
 
"We knew it was going to be a battle," Jeter said. "Our team has been through so much. They are pretty resilient and I just like the way they responded."
 
All three of the seniors on the roster played well in their final home game of their UWM careers. In addition to scoring the first 10 points of the game, Panoske finished with 20 points and nine rebounds, adding two more blocks to his career-record total that has now reached 150.
 
Matt Tiby contributed 19 points and eight rebounds and J.R. Lyle had eight points, a rebound and a block in 10 minutes off the bench.
 
Jordan Johnson stole a little thunder on the day, breaking the Milwaukee single-game assist record of 14 (set by Kaylon Williams in February 2011) when he finished with 15 overall. He flirted with a triple-double again, ending the day with 15 assists, 11 points and six rebounds.
 
"I wish I could take the credit, or my staff could take the credit for him being that way, but that's just the way he is," Jeter said. "We recruited him that way, that's who we saw. He's very unselfish and tough with the ball."
 
The effort marked the 10^th time this season he has recorded 10 or more assists, extending his new school record (the old standard was six). It's also his eighth points/assists double-double of the season, also extending his school record in that category (prior best had been five).
 
Austin Arians had a strong outing, scoring 19 points and grabbing six boards, sinking five three's on the day. Akeem Springs was also in double figures, finishing with 13 points despite being very limited in the first half after picking up two quick fouls.
 
A pair of Flames ended the day with 20 or more, led by a game-high 29 points by Dikembe Dixson, although it took him 26 field goal attempts to reach it. Gabe Snider provided a spark off the bench with 20, drilling 6-of-7 three-pointers.
 
The game itself featured 12 ties and 10 lead changes, as the Flames would never seemingly go away. The Panthers used a full-court press and the three-pointer to distance themselves in the second half, sinking 10-of-21 from downtown after intermission on their way to a season-best 15 makes on the day.


Milwaukee shot 49.2 percent (30-of-61) on the day, while the Flames hit at 44.1 percent (30-of-68). The Panthers also made almost half of their 3's and won the rebounding battle, 40-37.
 
The postseason is set to begin next, as the Panthers head to Michigan for the start of "Motor City Madness". Milwaukee will play Saturday as the No. 5 seed, taking on Northern Kentucky – the No. 8 seed – in a game set to tip off at 1:30 p.m. CST