Dec. 14, 1999

Box Score

MILWAUKEE - The Panthers earned their third consecutive home win tonight, topping the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, 84-76. The Panthers up their overall record to 6-3, while the Wildcats drop to 2-5 on the season.

After turning solid performances against both Georgetown and Florida last week, the Wildcats were surprised at the toughness of the Panther team.

"I thought after playing Georgetown and Florida so well, UWM would lay down for us," said Freddie Cole, the Wildcats' top shooter with 27 points tonight.

But that wouldn't be the case with the Panthers turning in a persistent performance throughout the night, maintaining their poise against a tough Wildcat front. Five Panthers scored in double digits, led by junior Chad Angeli (C, Wausau, Wis.) and senior Shaun Fountain (G, Columbus, Ohio) with 17 points apiece. Freshman Ronnie Jones (G, Las Vegas, Nev.) followed with 14 points, with freshmen guards Kalombo Kadima (Milwaukee, Wis.) and Jason Frederick (Waukesha, Wis.) each turning in 12-point performances. Kadima went 4-4 from the field and also led the team with five assists. Freshman Clay Tucker (F, Lima, Ohio) had an off night shooing with only six points -- well below his 14.8 ppg average coming into tonight's game -- but led the team with six rebounds. He also dished out three assists and had a pair of steals.

"We're a team filled with a lot of heart," said Angeli. "Even if things weren't going our way, we're going to keep scrapping. We're not going to lay down for anyone."

The Panthers shot 55.1 percent from the field and a solid 47.1 percent from three-point range. The team's free-throw shooting was only 59.5 percent, below their 73.2 percent average coming into tonight's game. The Wildcats shot 50.0 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from beyond the arc. The Panthers were able to keep control of the ball tonight, limiting their turnovers to only 14 -- well below the 22.5 per game average Wildcat opponents have had coming into tonight's game.

"In a game like that, you can't let yourself get frustrated," said Fountain. "If you get frustrated, you're going to turn over the ball and lose the game."

The Panthers take a 12-day break from action to study for semester finals. They return to action on Monday, Dec. 27, when they take on the nation's top-ranked team, the Cincinnati Bearcats, on the road. The Panthers close out 1999 with a Dec. 30th match-up against No. 25 Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Panthers return home for a non-conference match-up on Jan. 4 against Stony Brook before beginning their conference schedule on Jan. 8 at UW-Green Bay.