Nov. 26, 2006

Box Score |  Quotes |  Notes

MILWAUKEE - Anthony Fisher scored 17 points and Tennessee Tech made 25-of-31 from the free throw line en route to a 78-68 win over the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Sunday night at the U.S. Cellular Arena.

Paige Paulsen led the Panthers (2-5) with 13 points in 21 foul-plagued minutes, while Charlie Swiggett and Allan Hanson added 11 points apiece.

Milwaukee also got nine points and eight rebounds from Sam Mauldin in his first career start, while freshman Roman Gentry scored a collegiate-best nine points off the bench. The Panthers, though, converted just 18-of-31 from the foul line while shooting 35.6 percent from the field.

UWM was within a point with under seven minutes to play and still within two with 2:48 remaining, but the Golden Eagles (2-2) made 11 free throws down the stretch to claim the win.

Milwaukee made a quick 7-0 run midway through the second half, taking a 47-45 lead on a Swiggett layin with 11:51 left. But, TTU scored the next seven points to reclaim a 52-47 advantage and would never give the lead back after that.

UWM pulled within two points for a final time after two Paulsen free throws made it 66-64 with 2:48 left. But, the Golden Eagles scored the next four points as the Panthers missed two shots and had a turnover on their next three possessions.

"There were some good stretches and some bad stretches, but we still have to eliminate those runs where we're just not doing the right things," UWM head coach Rob Jeter said. "It's costing us. There are some good things, but the bad things just kind of outweigh some of the things we're trying to do."

The first half was filled with runs. The Panthers jumped out to a quick lead in the early minutes, going up 6-0 on a basket by Mauldin. TTU struck back with 11 of the next 15 points to claim an 11-10 advantage, only to see the Panthers counter with eight of the next 11 points for a 19-14 lead.

The Eagles made the next burst, a 17-4 run capped by a three-point play by Alex Davis to make it 31-23 with 4:11 remaining. UWM got closer before halftime, though, with a pair of Gentry threes helping the Panthers close to within 34-30 at the break.

The game then stayed tight through the first 10 minutes of the second half, with UWM turning a seven-point deficit into a two-point lead on an 11-2 run.

That was UWM's final lead of the night, though, as the Golden Eagles made key plays down the stretch to claim the win.

"We got some good looks but the shots just wouldn't go down," Hanson said. "They got a few loose balls - balls we should have gotten. We could have worked a little harder getting rebounds on the defensive end. We just need to focus more on the defensive end down the stretch."

Milwaukee now heads to the road for three-straight contests, starting Wednesday night at Central Michigan. That game tips off at 6 p.m. CST.