Jan. 23, 2011

Box Score |  Postgame Extra
Audio Highlights  |  Bidlingmyer Postgame

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Four players scored in double figures and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee shot 54.4 percent from the field in claiming an 86-80 overtime victory over Butler Sunday afternoon at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

A layup by Kyle Kelm midway through the extra session put the Panthers in the lead for good before a three by Tone Boyle a minute later put Milwaukee up four. UWM then made 6-of-8 free throws down the stretch to seal their first win over Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse since the 2004-05 season.

Anthony Hill led Milwaukee with 18 points but played just 19 minutes before fouling out late in regulation. Kaylon Williams, who had a triple-double in the first meeting with the Bulldogs, tallied 16 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. Boyle added 15 points and Ryan Allen had 10 off the bench.

Shelvin Mack scored 23 points to lead Butler (14-7, 6-3), which saw its streak of 15-straight home wins over league opponents snapped. Plus, the Bulldogs were swept in the regular season by a league opponent for the first time since the 2004-05 campaign.

"I'm just so proud of my guys," UWM head coach Rob Jeter said. "There's no secret we've been on a roller coaster ride this year. We've played well in games like this and in some other games we've looked disjointed. It just came down to a few stops, and we were fortunate enough to get those stops."

The Panthers (10-11, 5-5 Horizon) were shorthanded in pulling out the win. Starter Tony Meier played through a severe case of the stomach flu to contribute nine points in 17 minutes, while reserves Lonnie Boga (ankle) and Jerard Ajami (knee) did not dress for the game.

But, Milwaukee received a number of great contributions, including eight points and four rebounds in 23 minutes from freshman Kyle Kelm and two points and three rebounds in 19 minutes from sophomore Christian Wolf.

"These guys really have stuck together," Jeter said. "When we looked like we were down and out, we found a way to get up. And today we got up off of the canvas after taking a tough one (Friday) and found a way to win this game."

The Bulldogs led by three in the first 40 seconds of overtime but a layup by Boyle followed by Kelm's basket made it 77-76 with 2:30 remaining. After a defensive stop, Milwaukee had a sideline inbounds with three seconds left on the shot clock. Boyle made a hard cut to get open and collected himself before burying a three, extending the lead to 80-76 with 1:30 remaining.

From there, Milwaukee came up with some key defensive plays and solid free throw shooting to capture the win. Kelm blocked a shot attempt by Smith and was fouled with 42.2 seconds remaining, then Allen helped force a miss before collecting a tough rebound and drawing a foul with 23.8 seconds left. Two free throws from Mack did bring Butler within 83-80 with 19.7 seconds remaining, but Allen made another free throw and Boyle added two to help clinch the victory.

The two teams had traded the lead down the stretch in regulation. Butler led 67-65 on a Khyle Marshall follow-up hoop with 2:30 remaining before Boyle hit a three from the corner to give Milwaukee a 68-67 advantage 30 seconds later. Howard converted two free throws to give Butler the lead back with two minutes remaining, only to see Williams answer with a basket with 1:20 left to make it 70-69 Milwaukee.

Mack put Butler back in front with a hoop 15 seconds later and, after a UWM turnover, Howard converted a single free throw to make it 72-70 with 36.4 left. But, Boyle was fouled on the next possession and made two free throws to tie the game with 25.4 seconds remaining. Mack then missed a contested shot at the buzzer, sending things to overtime.

The two teams played a very tight first half, with Butler's 37-32 halftime advantage representing the largest lead in the first 20 minutes. Milwaukee had a 19-17 lead after a Williams hoop with 7:30 to play, and the two teams traded the advantage from there.

Butler's lead hit 27-23 on an Andrew Smith three-point play but a pair of Meier free throws tied the game at 27. The Bulldog lead went back to 31-27, but a Meier three-point play made it 31-30. Back-to-back three-pointers from Ronald Nored and Mack pushed the Bulldogs back out again, though, making it 37-32 at the break.

UWM didn't go away early in the second half, though, with a jumper from Christian Wolf making it 41-38 with 16:15 remaining. Milwaukee eventually fell down six at 44-38 but came all the way back to claim a 47-46 advantage on two Hill free throws with 12:16 remaining.

The Panthers' lead went to 49-46 on a Hill basket 40 seconds later, but Butler scored seven of the next nine for a 53-51 lead.

Williams answered with a three-pointer at the 9:30 mark, and a tip-in by Kyle Kelm made it 56-all with 7:50 remaining. That set the stage for the thrilling final moments of regulation and the overtime period.

Milwaukee now returns home for its next three games, starting with a nationally-televised contest Friday against Detroit. That game tips off at 8 p.m. CST and will air live on ESPNU.