Dec. 3, 2011

Box Score

Gulley Audio  |  Haarsma Audio

MILWAUKEE - Kyle Kelm scored 18 points and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee survived a UIC rally and poor free throw shooting down the stretch to claim a 73-71 overtime win Saturday afternoon at the U.S. Cellular Arena.

The Panthers (7-1, 2-0 Horizon) led by 11 points with under five minutes to play in regulation but made just 2-of-11 foul shots down the stretch as the Flames rallied to force overtime.

Then, in the extra session, Paris Gulley made a three-pointer with just under a minute to play to put Milwaukee up 69-65. UWM followed by making 4-of-6 from the line while seeing Gary Talton miss a potential game-winning shot at the buzzer, pushing the Panthers to their best start since the 1992-93 season.

James Haarsma added 14 points and nine boards while Kaylon Williams had 13 points, five rebounds and five assists for Milwaukee. Ryan Allen and Tony Meier each had nine points, with Allen adding nine rebounds and five blocks. One of his blocks came at the end of regulation, saving the Panthers from losing at the horn.

Talton led the Flames with 18 points as UIC steadily improved its offensive output as the game went along. UIC shot just 21.4 percent in the first half but then scored 52 points in the second half and overtime, including 31 points in the final 10 minutes of the contest.

When all was said and done, Milwaukee did just enough to finish the first weekend of league play with two wins.

"Kyle Kelm was huge for us in the post and having just 10 turnovers was really big for us," UWM head coach Rob Jeter said. "But we really have to make sure we can get to the free throw line and make them. Part of our plan is to get there and we needed to make a few more. I think that would have made it a little easier on ourselves, but we just did it the hard way."

Williams found himself struggling from the line as much as any Panther Saturday, making just 2-of-9 from the stripe. He also sat out a good portion of the first half after picking up two fouls.

"The guys picked me up. I had two fouls in the first half and didn't play that much, and then I couldn't make a free throw," Williams said. "It's not like coach doesn't make us practice them, so we just have to get in the gym and keep practicing them and they'll fall. I'm just glad my teammates picked me up."

UWM barely survived the end of regulation. The Panthers were still up 58-53 with 50 seconds remaining but two missed free throws and a turnover led to UIC taking a 59-58 lead with 20.9 seconds left. Williams made one free throw on the other end with 8.4 seconds left and then Allen blocked a shot attempt by Talton in the lane as time expired.

"He made some timely plays," Jeter said of Allen. "Defensively, the blocks were big."

Milwaukee never trailed in overtime, taking the lead for good on a Haarsma three-point play with 2:46 left. The Panther lead was still four on a pair of Haarsma free throws with 27.8 seconds remaining and was 72-69 after Haarsma added another foul shot with 17.1 seconds left. UIC then pulled to within 72-71 on a Talton hoop with 4.2 left, and Williams made a single foul shot with 3.5 seconds remaining. Talton then tried a running three-pointer as time expired, with the Panthers hanging on as it missed.

Milwaukee had to survive the first half with Williams sidelined much of the way by foul trouble. That allowed UIC to pull within 12-10 with 11 minutes to play, but Meier knocked in his first 3-pointer of the season to put UWM back up 19-14 with just over four minutes remaining. The Flames were again able to close to within two points but the Panthers had the final surge of the half, as a pair of Kelm free throws with 11 seconds remaining gave Milwaukee a 25-19 lead at the break.

The Panthers sat on the lead much of the second half and went up 49-39 on a pair of three-pointers by Meier. A pair of free throws by Kelm pushed the edge to 51-40 with 4:45 remaining, but that is when the UIC rally started.

The Panthers continue a busy stretch at of games with a Monday night contest at DePaul. The game tips off at 8 p.m. CST at the Allstate Arena and can be seen on Sports32.