Jan. 7, 2008

Box Score |  Notes

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Paige Paulsen scored 16 points and four other players added eight points apiece as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee claimed a 61-39 win over Youngstown State Monday night at the Beeghly Center.

The Panthers (8-7, 3-2 Horizon) have won five-straight games for the first time since the middle of the 2005-06 season.

UWM led from wire to wire, building an 18-point halftime edge before leading by as many as 25 points in the second half.

Milwaukee posted a stellar defensive effort, limiting Youngstown State to just 24.5 percent shooting from the field while forcing 19 turnovers. The 39 points scored by Youngstown are the fewest allowed by the Panthers since they allowed just 21 to Mount Senario in December of 2000. Plus, the YSU shooting percentage is the third-lowest by a UWM opponent in the school's Division I history.

Jack Liles had 11 points to lead the Penguins (6-8, 2-2), who had won three-straight games.

Deonte Roberts, Ricky Franklin, Allan Hanson and Deion James all added eight points for the Panthers, who won easily despite shooting just 33.9 percent from the field, including 21.4 percent on the second half. But, Milwaukee did convert on all 15 of its free throw chances, setting a school record for free-throw percentage in a game.

"It is important to what we are trying to do," UWM head coach Rob Jeter said of UWM's balanced offense and steady trips to the free throw line. "Everyone is a threat. The defense can't just focus on stopping one person and I think that is definitely helping us. It has been good for us to get everyone involved."

The Panthers took control of the game quickly in the first half, jumping to a 10-3 lead in the first four minutes thanks, in part, to a pair of three-point baskets by Paulsen. YSU did score five in a row to get to within 10-8 but the Penguins would never get any closer in the first 20 minutes. Another Paulsen three pushed the lead to 19-10 before a jumper by Franklin made it 21-10 with 11:38 remaining.

Milwaukee continued to expand on its advantage. A layin by Charlie Swiggett made it 23-10 at the midway point of the half and the Panthers maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way in the half. A fast-break layup by Roberts made it 34-19, two free throws by James made it 36-21 and a three just before the halftime buzzer by Hanson gave Milwaukee a 39-21 lead at the break.

The Penguins were never really able to make a dent in the Panthers' lead in the first 12 minutes of the second half. The advantage hit 45-25 on a pair of Paulsen free throws with 16:48 remaining and was still 47-31 with under 12 minutes to play. UWM then extended the lead to 20 again, this time at 51-31 on a Roberts layin.

From there, UWM built a 25-point lead and Youngstown could only cut into it slightly down the stretch.

"We wanted to start fast and match or exceed their intensity early," Jeter said. "In their last three games, they have really started fast and scored a bunch of points early. I though we did a good job of exceeding their energy and it carried us through."

UWM continues a string of four-straight road games Thursday night at Valparaiso. The game tips off at 7 p.m. CST.