INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Milwaukee men's basketball team made push after push against IUPUI in the second half, but could never get over the hump in falling, 73-68, Friday night at Indiana Farmers Coliseum.
 
The Panthers (6-6, 5-5 Horizon League) trailed by eight in the first half but slowly pulled even with the Jaguars (4-6, 3-6 Horizon League) at 45-45 and were still within one at 60-59 with eight minutes to play. Eight unanswered by IUPUI allowed them to take control at that point, fending off Milwaukee the rest of the way.
 
"Obviously a tough loss for us tonight," head coach Pat Baldwin said. "The name of the game was offensive rebounds – they had 14, which led to second-chance points for them and we gave up too many points in transition."
 
Te'Jon Lucas led the offense with a 20-point night, adding a team-high seven rebounds and four assists.
 
DeAndre Gholston battled first-half foul trouble to score 10 points, with Amir Allen also finishing in double-figures with an even 10. Allen's night also featured four rebounds and a perfect 5-for-5 showing from the floor.
 
"We have to be better on that end and we knew that going into the game, we just didn't have that covered," Baldwin said. "We just have to be much better."
 
Marcus Burk paced the Jags with 26 points. Jaylen Minnett tossed in 14 and Elyjah Goss 13 to snap what was a four-game win streak MKE had in the series.
 
Down six at the break at 40-34, the Panthers slowly crept back in. Allen's dunk at the 15:31 mark had the game knotted at 45-all and, after a push from the Jaguars, a three from Devon Hancock and a nifty scoop in the lane from Lucas had MKE within a point at 60-59 with 7:47 to play.
 
IUPUI then took a huge step in deciding the matchup, going on that 8-0 run that pushed the deficit back to nine at 68-59 on a Minnett three. There was still life in the Panthers, with a three from the corner by Donovan Newby drawing them back within two at 70-68 with 1:14 to play.
 
Milwaukee got the needed stops and had a look at a three that would have put them ahead and another that would have tied the game in the final minute. Three makes in four attempts from the free throw line in the final 20 seconds sealed it for the Jags.
 
MKE finished at 42.6 percent (26-of-61) on the night, almost even with the 42.9 percent (27-of-63) from the Jaguars. The biggest difference came in the rebounding department, where the Panthers came up short, 42-31, including those 14 offensive rebounds by IUPUI.
 
These two teams close out the weekend series with a 2 p.m. CST tip tomorrow.