HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Milwaukee men's basketball team cut a double-figure deficit down to as little as four points on a handful of occasions, but Northern Kentucky came up with some key makes from three-point range and went 8-for-8 from the line in the final minute to wrap-up the 74-64 victory.
 
"Our team has a lot of fight," head coach Pat Baldwin said. "But, unfortunately, we got down and had to dig ourselves out of a hole. We tried to make that late push and they made the plays they needed to make."
 
Te'Jon Lucas led the way for the Panthers (5-8, 0-1 Horizon League) with 24 points, just short of his career-best of 26. Tyler Sharpe led the Norse (9-4, 1-0 Horizon League) with a near career-high as well, netting 31 points, which included five three-pointers in the second half alone.
 
Wil Sessoms joined Lucas in double-figures with 11 points, including a 7-of-9 effort from the free throw line.
 
Every time Milwaukee cut the deficit down to a two-possession game down the stretch, Sharpe seemed to hit another key three-pointer for NKU.
 
"The biggest thing is, is that we have to make plays and get it done," Baldwin said. "We had some open looks that we have to take advantage of. We have to learn from this and get better."
 
Down, 44-34, Darius Roy hit a floater in the lane to pull the Panthers back within five at 49-44.
 
Sharpe hit a huge three a few possessions later, getting fouled and completing the four-point play to make it 56-46 with a touch over seven minutes left.
 
MKE would not quit, forcing its way back into the game with another run. DeAndre Abram's up-and-under move cut the margin to four at 57-53 with 4:30 left, forcing a timeout by the Norse.
 
It was four again at 63-59 on back-to-back buckets by Lucas, only to see Sharpe connect on another huge three to push the advantage back to seven. Milwaukee would get no closer than five the rest of the way.
 
The Panthers overcame a slow start and first-half foul trouble (Roy had 2 and went to the bench within the first five minutes) to force a handful of first-half ties. The first came at 7-7 after MKE had netted seven straight. The next came on an Abram three, tying the contest at 14-14 and forcing a Norse timeout at the 8:28 mark.
 
Knotted again at 16-all, the Norse used a strong offensive rebounding effort (12 in the first half alone) as part of a 9-0 run that forced a timeout by Milwaukee with just over four minutes left in the period. The spurt grew to 13-2 and a 29-18 lead before Lucas picked the pocket of the Norse and completed the free throw to make it 29-21. Sessoms scored the final three points of the period to cut the hole to seven at 31-24.
 
On the day, the Panthers won the turnover battle, 14-12, turning that into a 17-8 advantage in points off those miscues. They also nearly doubled-up NKU in the paint, 38-20. The team finished 44.1 percent (26-of-59) from the floor, but came up cold from long-range, making just two of 17 attempts.
 
The defense limited the Norse to under 40 percent (.393) on the afternoon.
 
"We have a short turnaround with a game on Monday," Baldwin said. "We have to pick ourselves back up and be ready to go. We will get it done, I believe in our guys and we will continue to work."
 
Up next, the Panthers close out the 2019 portion of the calendar with a stop at Wright State Monday, taking on the Raiders in a 6 p.m. CST start.