Nov. 14, 2007

Box Score |  Quotes |  Notes

MUNCIE, Ind. - Torre Johnson and Paige Paulsen scored 19 points apiece as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee overcame a 17-point second-half deficit to claim an 81-74 overtime win over Ball State Wednesday night at Worthen Arena.

Ricky Franklin, who added 11 points off the bench, forced overtime on a three-pointer with 0.7 seconds remaining before the Panthers steadily pulled away in the extra session.

UWM (2-0) took the lead for good at 73-72 on a Paulsen basket with 2:29 left in overtime. The Panthers then didn't allow Ball State (0-2) to score again until the final seconds.

In all, Milwaukee outscored Ball State, 59-35, over the final 19 minutes of regulation and the overtime period.

Johnson added 13 rebounds to his 19 points for his second double-double in as many outings this season. Meanwhile, all 19 of Paulsen's points came in the second 20 minutes and overtime.

"I thought tonight we showed a lot of poise and a lot of character," UWM head coach Rob Jeter said. "Being down by 17 in this environment is tough, but these guys really stayed believing in themselves. You can learn a lot from games like this and I think we learned a lot about our players tonight."

The comeback is the best by a Panther team since Dec. 8, 2001, when UWM came from 21 points down to beat Virginia Tech in overtime.

Milwaukee rallied from a 39-22 deficit to force extra time. UWM actually grabbed a 60-59 lead with 2:18 remaining on a Tim Flowers follow-up basket, but the Cardinals rebuilt a 65-61 lead with 22.6 seconds remaining and appeared to be on their way to the victory. Instead, Paulsen hit a three with 9.6 seconds remaining to pull Milwaukee within a point. And, after Brandon Lampley hit two free throws, Franklin rushed the ball up the court and drained a three from the top of the key with 0.7 seconds remaining to tie the game.

The Panthers struggled from the field throughout the first half in digging a 15-point hole. Ball State jumped to a 10-4 lead in the first five minutes and still led 19-13 with 7:35 to play. The Panthers did pull to within 23-18 on a Kevin Johnson free throw with 4:10 remaining, but the Cardinals scored 12 of the final 14 points of the half to pull away to a 35-20 lead at the break.

Milwaukee shot just 27.3 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes, making just 1-of-13 from three-point range. The Panthers also saw starters Flowers (seven minutes) and Roman Gentry (three minutes) limited by foul trouble in the first half.

The Panthers then made 8-of-16 from three-point range in the second half to spark the comeback. In fact, UWM shot 48.6 percent from the field overall and then made 4-of-6 from the field in overtime.

UWM will now return to the U.S. Cellular Arena to start a four-game homestand by hosting Northern Iowa Sunday afternoon. The game tips off at 2 p.m. CST.