Dec. 7, 2013

Box Score

  

MILWAUKEE - Kyle Kelm and Austin Arians scored 17 points apiece and Jordan Aaron knocked in a pair of key three-pointers in the final four minutes as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee claimed a 73-67 win over Bradley Saturday afternoon at the Klotsche Center.

Aaron's three-pointer with four minutes remaining put the Panthers (9-2) ahead for good and then another three from out top with 40 seconds remaining pushed Milwaukee's lead to six and helped UWM hang on.

The Panthers have now won five-straight games and equaled their best start since the 2002-03 campaign. UWM also surpassed its win total from a season ago.

Milwaukee had to dig deep to win this game. The Panthers allowed 18 offensive rebounds and Bradley shot nearly 55 percent in the first half. But UWM wound up holding the Braves to a 20.7 percent clip in the second 20 minutes while Milwaukee answered by making 56 percent of its shots.

Matt TIby added 15 points and six rebounds before fouling out while Aaron added 13 points off the bench. UWM got five big points in a row from Malcolm Moore, who played a key role while Tiby was in foul trouble.

Tyshon Pickett and Walt Lemon, Jr., scored 20 points apiece to pace Bradley (5-4).

The Panthers claimed a pair of wins over Missouri Valley Conference foes this week, having beaten Northern Iowa Tuesday.

"It was nice to see our guys battle and fight and persevere and do whatever they can to try to find a way to win a game," Milwaukee head coach Rob Jeter said. "I think the one thing I see is balance when I look at our stat sheet. It's always someone else that does something - tonight it was Malcolm Moore with a couple of big shots."

Milwaukee held the lead during much of the first 20 minutes before trailing by three at the break. In fact, the Panthers hit four 3-pointers in the early going to grab a quick 12-6 lead before Bradley fought back to tie the game at 16-apiece. The Braves then grabbed a quick 22-21 advantage before Milwaukee answered with six-straight points, with a three-pointer from Kelm pushing UWM ahead 27-22.

The lead was still 31-26 after two free throws from Kelm and the teams traded baskets on their next possession before Bradley made a run. The Braves took a 37-35 lead on a Lemon basket with 43 seconds remaining and then carried a 39-36 lead into the locker room.

The Panthers then fell behind five points early in the second half before rallying for the win. Milwaukee grabbed the lead back when Tiby found Arians for an open three, making it 51-49 with 12:05 remaining. The Panthers eventually went up 58-54 following five-straight points from Moore, only to see Bradley tie the game at 58 and again at 60.

But, Aaron scored five in a row to push Milwaukee into a 65-60 lead and then delivered a dagger three from about 23-feet out with 40 seconds remaining. The Panthers then hit three free throws in the closing seconds to secure the win.

UWM will face a stiff test Wednesday night, traveling to the Kohl Center in Madison for a matchup with Wisconsin. The game begins at 7 p.m.