Nov. 15, 2008

Box Score |  Notes

AMES, Iowa - Ricky Frankin had 18 points to pace five players in double figures as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee overcame a 24-point halftime deficit to claim an 81-75 win over Cal Davis Saturday at the World Vision Classic.

The Panthers trailed 51-27 at the half but outscored the Aggies by 30 points over the final 20 minutes.

The improbable comeback came about thanks to a consistent effort to pound the ball inside and a marked improvement on defense. UWM shot 70.4 percent from the field in the second half, getting numerous layups and post baskets, while limiting the Aggies to 28 percent shooting.

The comeback took shape as soon as the second half started, as UWM trimmed 10 points off the lead in the first three-and-a-half minutes. Then, Milwaukee got the deficit under double digits with over seven minutes to play and took its first lead with 2:24 left before making four late free throws to seal the win.

In all, UWM (2-0) scored 54 points in the second 20 minutes and wound up shooting 51.8 percent from the field for the game.

The comeback is the largest for the Panthers in Division I history, besting the recovery from a 21-point second-half deficit against Virginia Tech in 2001.

Anthony Hill added 16 points and eight rebounds while Tone Boyle also scored 16. Meanwhile, Tony Meier had 12 points and Deion James added 12 off the bench.

Ryan Silva had 17 points to lead Cal Davis (1-1), which lost a double-digit lead in the second half for the second night in a row. Friday, the Aggies led Iowa State by 14 points with 12 minutes to play before falling, 61-58.

"In the first half we adjusted to them, went small, and had some different combinations that weren't working for us," UWM head coach Rob Jeter said. "In the second half, we stuck to what we believe in. By keeping a bigger guy in the post, we turned the tide."

That big guy was usually Hill, who played well in UWM's two exhibition wins but was limited by foul trouble in the season opener against Loyola Marymount. On this night, he recovered from a slow first half to score 13 of his 16 points in the second 20 minutes.

"I was struggling in the first half, missing a lot of open shots," Hill said. "I needed to finish and that's what I did in the second half."

The other big second half came from Franklin, who scored 15 of his 18 points during that time. He also slowed Notre Dame transfer Joe Harden, who wound up with 11 points and 11 rebounds but wasn't much of a factor down the stretch.

"I was hoping he had a little left on the offense end and he did," Jeter said. "I thought it was a natural matchup for Rick because Harden works so hard and Rick works so hard. It was just a matter of who was going to win the battles and it ended up being enough for us in the second half.

"Rick has logged a lot of minutes, so I was worried he was going to wear down. But he's just a tough kid."

After the Panthers got off to an 11-5 start, the game got away over the final 15 minutes of the first half. Cal Davis used a 22-5 run to build a 27-16 lead with under eight minutes to play and then finished the half on a 16-2 run. In all, it added up to a 51-27 Cal Davis lead at halftime.

UWM responded immediately in the second 20 minutes. Two layups by Deonte Roberts and a three-pointer from Boyle pulled the Panthers within 51-37 only 2:26 into the half, and Milwaukee eventually pulled within 63-53 on a Hill three-point play with 11:58 left.

The lead went under double digits when James made two free throws to make it 65-57 with 7:20 left and a pair of free throws by Boyle brought UWM within 69-68 at the 4:22 mark.

A three-pointer by Franklin with 2:24 remaining gave UWM the lead at 73-71, though Silva countered with a pair of free throws to tie the game at 73. Then, Boyle hit a jumper with 1:38 left to put the Panthers ahead for good, and Hill followed with an inside basket with 45 seconds remaining. Then, James and Franklin each hit a pair of free throws to wrap things up.

"He relied on all of us," Hill said of his head coach's instructions heading into the second half. "He got into our butts when we were in the locker room and he said this would reveal our character. We just stuck together and pulled through."

UWM now wraps up its weekend at the World Vision Classic with a Sunday night contest against the hosts from Iowa State. The game tips off at 7 p.m.