MILWAUKEE – Northern Kentucky used a large scoring run to start the second half and propel it to a 75-39 victory over the Milwaukee men's basketball team Wednesday night at UWM Panther Arena.
 
The Panthers (7-18, 5-11 Horizon League) looked to respond to a tough-shooting first half, only to see the Norse (13-10, 9-5 Horizon League) put the game away by scoring the first 16 points of the second half.
 
Patrick Baldwin Jr. led the team with eight points. Chris Brandon posted a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds for the visitors.
 
The scoring spree out of the locker room grew the lead to 46-22, eventually getting to 27 at 53-26 with 11:42 remaining. The Panthers overcame the tough start to the period to play better, but could get no closer than 20 the rest of the night.
 
A challenging first half for the Panthers, who led 7-2 early on a PBJ 3 before going ice cold. The team went nearly seven minutes without a field goal, seeing the Norse rip off 13 unanswered.
 
A Donovan Newby 3 stemmed the tide, only to see the run eventually grow to 19-3 to hand Northern Kentucky its largest lead of the period at 21-10. But the Panthers pushed back, with a Jordan Lathon 3 capping a 7-0 spurt that pulled MKE back within four at 21-17 before the visitors settled in for a 30-22 advantage at the break.
 
The Panthers could never get going against the Norse on the night, finishing at 27.3 percent (15-of-55) from the floor overall. Northern Kentucky also dominated the glass, finishing with a 46-28 advantage in rebounds on the evening. The visitors shot 45.2 percent (28-of-62) from the floor, adding an impressive advantage of 36-12 in the paint.
 
Up next, the Panthers host Wright State Friday evening on ESPNU. Tip time against the Raiders is set for 6 p.m. (one hour earlier than originally scheduled).