GREEN BAY, Wis. – Markeith Browning II led the way with a career-high 25 points and the Milwaukee men's basketball team turned a 17-point second-half deficit into a two-possession game before coming up short in a 70-58 decision against Green Bay Saturday night at the Resch Center.
 
The Panthers (3-5, 0-1 Horizon League) led the Phoenix (4-4, 1-1 Horizon League) early on in the contest, only to see the home team fill it up from deep in building a 39-25 lead at the break. The hole would grow to 17 before the MKE comeback, which got the team back within six points with about 12 minutes remaining before GB would hold on from there.
 
"We didn't have enough pressure on their shooters and they hit nine 3's in the first half," head coach Bart Lundy said. "They opened up that lead and we were playing from behind from that point on. I thought we showed some fight in the second half, but we made some crucial errors and crucial fouls, and didn't make shots to make the comeback a little closer. Give credit to Green Bay."
 
Browning topped his former career-best of 19 with the game-high scoring output, sinking 9-of-14 shots from the floor while adding four rebounds on his way to the 25 point effort.
 
Kentrell Pullian was the second-leading scorer at eight points, while Aaron Franklin chipped in five points and pulled down a game and career-high 11 rebounds. Milwaukee was playing shorthanded, as leading scorer BJ Freeman missed the contest due to injury.
 
"It takes away a really good scorer, obviously, but that's part of the game," Lundy said of Freeman's absence. "We have other guys and, for the most part, we got good shots. It's tough to win on the road – Green Bay is doing a good job and we have to regroup – no one is going to feel sorry for us."
 
Down 17 after the first possession of the second half, Milwaukee got going on the comeback attempt. Pullian hit a 3 at the shot-clock buzzer and nine in a row by the Panthers made it 42-34. The run hit 13-2 at 44-38 on a basket by Darius Duffy and the team was back within a two-possession game again at 47-41 on a Pullian triple that came at the 12:10 mark.
 
That was where GB pushed back, keeping the Panthers at bay while eventually getting the deficit back to 10 at 57-47. The MKE offense was back within nine late after a 7-0 spurt, but time would run out.
 
The start was strong, scoring the first four points of the game before taking an 11-5 lead in a basket by Duffy. The teams traded baskets for a bit after that yet Milwaukee was still within two at 21-19 on a three from Angelo Stuart before Green Bay would hit that flurry of 3's of its own, eventually making nine in the first half alone.
 
The Panthers ended the night at 44.9 percent (22-of-49) from the floor, just behind the Phoenix at 46.9 percent (23-of-49).
 
Up next, the three-game road trip continues with a matchup at St. Thomas Wednesday, with a scheduled tip-off to 7 p.m.