Jan. 12, 2009

Box Score
Milwaukee Postgame Press Conference
SIU Edwardsville Postgame Press Conference

MILWAUKEE - James Eayrs scored 22 points and had 12 rebounds as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee captured a 70-59 non-league win over Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Monday night at the U.S. Cellular Arena.

The Panthers (10-6) overcame 34.3 percent shooting and 19 turnovers to claim a seventh win in their last nine outings.

UWM did it in large part with strength inside, collecting 21 offensive rebounds that led to a 22-8 advantage in second-chance points. Milwaukee's 57 total rebounds set a new Division I school record.

The Panthers also got 15 points from Tone Boyle and made liberal use of their bench throughout the game, with 12 players seeing action in the first half alone.

John Edmison had 20 points to lead SIUE (5-13), which is making the transition to NCAA Division I play and owns road wins this season over Western Michigan, UMKC and Southeast Missouri State.

Milwaukee trailed briefly late in the first 20 minutes but then led by as many as 17 points late in the second half.

"We just found a way to win and sometimes that's just good enough," UWM head coach Rob Jeter said. "You just figure out a way to get on that left side. That's what this group has been doing as of late, and we understand we have more work to do. We have a long way to go to get to where we want to be, but this group has been good at finding a way."

After a surge early in the second half pushed UWM's lead to 10, the Panthers maintained an 8-to-11-point advantage much of the way. But, Milwaukee finally put the game away with a 9-0 burst. The run included a three and layin by Ricky Franklin, a layin, assist and steal from Eayrs and a basket from Deonte Roberts.

But, Milwaukee never truly got itself on track in the non-league affair, with the 19 turnovers marking a season high. Many of them were of the unforced variety, something not lost on Jeter.

"That's the next step for this group," Jeter said. "Physically, I feel good we can compete with teams. It's the mental part of it - we get a little lazy and a little loose. Until we can overcome that, we're just going to be a solid team. We're not going to move to that next step."

UWM's defense did its part in helping the Panthers overcome a sluggish night on offense. The Cougars shot just 31.8 percent from the field and had 16 turnovers. In fact, SIUE shot just 28.6 percent in the second half and Edmison had just five of his 20 points after halftime.

The Panthers return to league play Thursday night, welcoming Youngstown State to the U.S. Cellular Arena. The game is part of a doubleheader with the UWM women's team, and the men's game is set to get underway at approximately 7:30 p.m.