MILWAUKEE – UIC shot nearly 70 percent in the second half and used a big scoring run out of halftime to flip the script against the Milwaukee men's basketball team, holding on for an 81-77 victory Thursday night at UWM Panther Arena.
 
"This is a tough one to let go," head coach Pat Baldwin said. "After coming back from a deficit in the first half and taking a lead and really doing some great things in the first half, I was disappointed in our start in the second. We turned the ball over again and gave them some open opportunities in transition and they flipped the game around."
 
The Panthers (5-12, 3-5 Horizon League) were in control at the break, leading the Flames (6-8, 2-3 Horizon League) by a score of 34-27 before the visitors ripped off a big scoring run to take control.
 
"We just have to keep on working, we have to take care of the ball, we have to get better," Baldwin said. "We have to defend better and we have to get ready for our next one on Saturday."
 
DeAndre Gholston finished with a season-high 27 points to keep Milwaukee in the game down the stretch, but a late rally came up short in the closing seconds.
 
Kevin Johnson led the way for UIC, scoring 26 of his 28 points in the second half as the Flames went 20-for-30 from the field after intermission – including 7-of-13 from long-distance – to hand MKE its third straight loss. Turnovers also played a role again, with turning 17 miscues into 20 points.
 
Gholston added a team-high eight rebounds to his 9-of-16 night from the floor, adding a 6-for-6 showing from the free-throw line. Jordan Lathon added 14 points and seven rebounds, while Vin Baker Jr. chipped in 11 points, five boards, and a pair of blocks.
 
Tafari Simms rounded out the list of double-figure scorers, adding 12 points off the bench.
 
Down 17-10 early, Milwaukee settled things quickly and looked to have gained control of the contest with a huge 18-3 scoring run. Gholston was the catalyst, scoring 14 points in the first 20 minutes, including a three-pointer that capped that run and gave the Panthers a 28-20 advantage with 5:04 left before the break. The score was still 34-27 at the horn, following a Baker Jr. dunk on MKE's final possession of the period.
 
The Flames halftime adjustments paid dividends immediately, ripping off a 15-2 blitz over the first four minutes of the second half to turn the night around and grab a 42-36 lead.
 
From there, Milwaukee had the deficit down to one at 56-55 on a Gholston layup midway through the period, but UIC always seemed to have an answer.
 
The lead grew to double-figures for the first time at 67-56, but Milwaukee still had another run in it. Gholston's three-pointer made it a seven-point game at 76-69 and then cut to five on another Gholston hoop. The team had a chance to really make it interesting in the final minute but were unable to close the gap.
 
There were plenty of positives for the Panthers, who shot 46.2 percent (24-of-52) from the floor in the game and posted season-highs in both free throws made (24) and attempted (30). The team also won the rebounding battle, 39-29, and outscored UIC in the paint, 32-22.
 
Up next, Milwaukee remains at home for the next two weeks, getting back on the court Saturday for a matinee hosting IUPUI. Game time against the Jaguars is set for 2 p.m.