Jan. 7, 2006

Box Score |  Quotes |  Notes

MILWAUKEE - Joah Tucker scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee claimed a 64-59 win over Butler Saturday night at the U.S. Cellular Arena.

The Panthers (11-3, 4-0 Horizon) led by as many as 11 points early in the second half but then had pull out a nip-and-tuck affair down the stretch.

Boo Davis added 15 points and Chris Hill 10 for Milwaukee, which was playing its third game in five days against a Butler team that hadn't played since Monday afternoon.

Bruce Horan led the Bulldogs (8-6, 1-1) with 20 points.

The win pleased the crowd of 5,512 and brought a smile to the face of head coach Rob Jeter, who saw him team endure through the busy stretch and do many of the little things that have sparked the Panthers' seven-game winning streak.

"It's mental and physical," Jeter said. "I tell our guys that we just have to make sure we do the ordinary things well. Just box out, make solid passes, move the ball, get it in the post, make free throws - that's all we're asking of our team. Just do the ordinary things well. Plus, we have a lot of bodies. We just try to rotate some guys in and get a lift from some guys. We didn't get quite as much of a lift from some of our bench players tonight, but they gave us what they could give us, and it was good enough to produce a victory."

The Panthers used a 14-5 run early in the second half to build a 37-26 lead with 15:24 remaining in the game. But Butler responded quickly, scoring 12-straight points to claim a 38-37 advantage with 11:37 left.

Milwaukee recovered to reclaim a 47-43 lead on two free throws by Hill with 7:17 remaining and then hung on down the stretch to claim their eighth-straight win and 10th win in their last 11 tries.

Milwaukee seemed on the verge of taking over the game in the first half but could never pull away from the stubborn Bulldogs. The Panthers jumped out to a quick 9-2 lead in the first five minutes of the game and expanded the advantage to 13-4 on a layin by Avery Smith.

UWM's lead was still 15-6 after a jumper by Tucker with 10:48 left in the half, but the Panthers could never get their advantage into double digits. In fact, a three-pointer by Bruce Horan brought the Bulldogs within four at 19-15 and, after Milwaukee extended the lead back out to eight, another three by Horan brought the Bulldogs within 23-18 at the break.

It was the Panthers' defense that ruled the first 20 minutes of the game. UWM limited Butler to just 25.9 percent shooting from the field overall, but the Bulldogs stayed in the game by making 4 three-point baskets.

In the second half, the Bulldogs started to find their stride and took advantage of a Panther team that was playing for the fifth time in 12 days. Yet, Milwaukee was able to hit 16-of-20 free throws in the second half to grab the win.

"Is it an excuse? Absolutely not," Jeter said of the latest span that has seen his team without a day off since Christmas Eve. "Butler's a real good team. But, we did the things we needed to do to contain them somewhat and win a game, considering all of that."

The Panthers return to action Wednesday night, hosting Loyola at the U.S. Cellular Arena. The game tips off at 7 p.m.