Nov. 21, 2009

Box Score |  Quotes

MILWAUKEE - James Eayrs scored 21 points and Ricky Franklin had 12 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to help the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's basketball team hold off Hillsdale, 62-54, Saturday afternoon at the U.S. Cellular Arena. After the Chargers (0-3) had cut a 14-point halftime deficit to one, Eayrs took over, scoring seven straight points to give the Panthers (2-2) control of the game.

Brent Eaton led Hillsdale with 19 points, while Tyler Gerber dished out a game-high 10 assists in the loss.

"When you play teams that are so fired up to play you, I think at times you get a little complacent," UWM head coach Rob Jeter said. "Right now we are playing basketball just at a speed that seems to be a little more complacent than any. Not to take anything away from Hillsdale, that's the reason I put them on the schedule. We are still trying to figure some things out on our own."

Eayrs three with just over 12 minutes remaining capped seven-straight points and made it 44-36 Milwaukee on the scoreboard. The Panthers would build the lead to 10 on a few occasions in the second half, but the Chargers used the three-pointer to stay in the game, making seven after intermission.

Each time UWM would build a lead, Hillsdale battled back. A three-pointer by Gerber made it 52-48 with just under six minutes left. However, Patrick Souter then gave the momentum right back to the Panthers, hitting a pair of free throws and a layup to push the advantage back to seven at 55-48. That was the closest the Chargers would get the rest of the way.

Hillsdale came out of the second half on a 15-to-2 run, turning a possible route into a one-point game. The Chargers hit three three-pointers and three other field goals, turning the game around in the first four minutes of the half.

Following a back-and-forth start, Milwaukee had appeared to take control of the contest, ending with an 11-0 run that turned a 22-19 game with four minutes left into a 33-19 lead at intermission.

The final 4:06 of the first half was all Panthers, as the defense came up with four turnovers and Hillsdale missed all six of its shots from the floor and free throw line. Franklin and Lonnie Boga provided the offense, as Franklin hit six free throws in the run and Boga scored five, including a three-pointer.

After the Chargers scored the first basket of the game, UWM reeled off seven-straight, taking a 7-2 lead at the 16:48 mark on a three by Eayrs. Hillsdale went on a run next, scoring nine of the next 11 points in the game to take an 11-9 lead.

Milwaukee limited Hillsdale to 29.2% (7-for-24) shooting in the first half, but hit just 25% (4-for-16) of its three-pointers in the first.

The Panthers won't have much rest before they take the court again, as they face Texas State Monday at 5:30 p.m. CST in Fort Worth, Tex.