MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The Milwaukee basketball team scored the fifth most points in school history on Saturday night, but it was not enough as the Panthers fell to 115-110 to Western Michigan. Darius Roy and Te'Jon Lucas each netted a career-high in front of a packed Homecoming crowd of over 2,000 fans.
 
"This is not going to be a game that defines us," head coach Pat Baldwin commented. "We are going to get right back up and get ready for the next one. Credit to Western Michigan. They are very well coached and made some important plays down the stretch."
 
With the Panthers up five with just 32 seconds left in regulation, Milwaukee had its eyes on a 2-0 start to the 2019-20 season. Western Michigan had other ideas, however, as Brandon Johnson knocked down two free throws and Michael Flowers stuck a game-tying three-pointer, the Broncos' first field goal in over 10 minutes, to send it into overtime.
 
Milwaukee controlled the first extra session, going ahead early with a Roy triple. Western Michigan threatened often, but the Panthers held the advantage and were up three with 22 seconds to play. On the next possession, it was Flowers who buried another three-pointer for a second overtime.
 
In that second extra period, it was the Panthers again who controlled throughout. Milwaukee knocked down nine of 11 free throws and led by three with 26 seconds to play before Flowers came through yet again with an off-balance three-pointer for five more minutes.
 
The Panthers seemed to run out of steam in the final frame, already missing three players who fouled out in Lucas, Amir Allen, and Courtney Brown Jr. Fouls by C.J. Wilbourn and Wil Sessoms added two more who reached the limit, contributing to the Broncos earning 12 trips to the line. Western Michigan capitalized on nine of those shots while Milwaukee went 3-for-11 from the floor in the last five minutes of the loss.
 
"It was back and forth both sides. Both really fought tough," Baldwin stated. "We just need to learn from this and get ready for the next one. If we continue to compete like this, I think we are going to be alright."
 
In the first half, Milwaukee struggled to get things going offensively until Roy gave the Panthers a spark at the end. The senior knocked down a triple and followed with two more layups to pull MKE within 44-33 at the break.
 
The defense improved in the second half, holding Western Michigan to 29.2 percent from the field. After being held scoreless in the first 20 minutes, Lucas found his stride in the second, cashing in for 21 points on 6-for-11 shooting. While holding the Broncos without a field goal for 10 minutes, the Panthers closed the gap and took the lead before the late Flowers' heroics.
 
Fouls were an issue for both teams as a combined nine players fouled out. In total, 75 fouls were called, leading to 108 combined free throws. Milwaukee attempted 51 free throws, third most in a game in school history, but only connected on 32, shooting 62.7 percent. Meanwhile, Western Michigan finished 45-for-57 from the charity stripe.
 
In his 2019-20 debut, Roy led four Panthers in double digits with his career-high 29 points. The senior finished 10-for-27 from the floor and went 6-for-6 at the line.
 
Lucas connected on three triples as he recorded a career-high 23 points to go with eight rebounds and four assists.
 
Josh Thomas played 51 minutes for Milwaukee on Saturday evening and scored 18 points while adding three assists and a pair of steals.
 
"This was an important night for us, getting both those guys [Lucas and Roy] on the floor together. I thought their chemistry was really good and they play off each other," Baldwin mentioned. "I like our chances with the guys we have on our roster."
 
Milwaukee will remain at Panther Arena as they host Wisconsin Lutheran on Tuesday, November 12. Tickets along with links for live stats, audio, and video on ESPN+ can be found on MKEPanthers.com.