Feb. 9, 2006

Box Score |  Quotes |  Notes

MILWAUKEE - Three players scored 16 points apiece and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee led by as many as 47 points in the second half en route to a 98-57 win over Youngstown State Thursday night at the U.S. Cellular Arena.

Joah Tucker, Adrian Tigert and Boo Davis all scored 16 points for the Panthers (17-6, 10-3 Horizon), who won for the 19th-straight time at home and hold the second-longest homecourt winning streak in the country.

Milwaukee shot a season-best 56.8 percent from the field, tallied a season-high 25 assists and scored 58 points in the paint. The 41-point margin of victory was the largest ever by the Panthers in a Horizon League game.

Derrick Harris scored 15 points and Quin Humphrey added 11 for Youngstown State (7-15, 4-8).

Playing its first home game since Jan. 21, UWM wasted little time in showing it planned to snap its two-game losing streak. The Panthers jumped out to a 31-18 lead in the first 12 minutes of the game and then steadily expanded on the lead throughout the first half. The advantage was 26 at halftime and grew to 40 within the first six minutes of the second half as Milwaukee cruised to the win.

Coming on the heels of two games that were decided in the closing moments, including an overtime loss Saturday at Butler, the blowout win was just what the doctor ordered for the Panthers.

Joah Tucker goes up for two of his 16 points Thursday night (photo by Trevor Thompson)

"A game like this tonight is something that this group needed," Milwaukee head coach Rob Jeter said. "But now we have to go back on the road and try to do it again. I was just pleased with the effort."

The decisive run by the Panthers started midway through the first half, when a layup by Tucker gave Milwaukee a 22-15 lead with 10:08 left. The advantage quickly grew to 31-18 on a basket by Derrick Ford and to 38-22 on a three-pointer by Davis with seven minutes remaining.

The Panthers were far from done, though. Layups by Tucker, Davis and Mark Pancratz made it 44-22 Milwaukee and a jumper by Avery Smith made it 51-25 with 1:52 remaining. The two teams then traded three-pointers in the final minute to give the Panthers a 54-28 lead at the break.

Milwaukee dominated the game statistically in the first half, shooting 62.9 percent from the field while outscoring Youngstown State, 30-6, in the paint.

If there was any doubt remaining in the outcome, it went away when the Panthers scored 16 of the first 18 points of the second half to claim a 70-30 advantage.

UWM returns to action Saturday, traveling to Cleveland, Ohio, for a game with Cleveland State. The contest tips off at 4:30 p.m. CST and can be seen on WMLW.