MILWAUKEE – AJ McKee scored 21 points,
Themus Fulks added 20, and two other players recorded double-doubles as the Milwaukee men's basketball team built a lead to as many as 30 points in defeating Portland State by a final score of 91-74 Friday night at UWM Panther Arena.
Jamichael Stillwell posted his third double-double in five games with 14 points and 11 rebounds and
Darius Duffy put together his best game in a Panther uniform with a 15-point/10-rebound showing that included a highlight reel of slam dunks all evening.
The Panthers (3-2) were in control against the Vikings (2-2) from start to finish, using a 31-9 scoring run midway through the second half to cruise to the win in the first game of the Cream City Challenge presented by Cream City Mortgage.
McKee connected on 9-of-13 shots from the floor in getting to his season-high 21 points, adding three rebounds, two assists, and a pair of steals.
Fulks controlled the offense, hitting on an efficient 9-of-12 from the field overall in his season-best 20-point effort, adding six assists.
Stillwell was limited to just five minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, yet went for 11 points/9 rebounds in the second half alone in his 14/11 effort.
"They (Portland State) are a good team and I like how they play," head coach
Bart Lundy said. "I thought that we had to handle their pressure going into the game to give ourselves a chance to win. These guys, in a one-day prep because of our travel, did a great job being able to go multiple press breaks and I thought Themus (Fulks) really slowed us down when they scored and let our guys get set."
Duffy played a near-perfect game, establishing MKE highs with both his 15 points and 10 boards, actually scoring all seven of his field goals (7-of-8 from the floor) via slam dunks throughout the evening while also adding a pair of blocks.
"Can't say enough about how well (Darius) Duffy played," Lundy said. "He came in when the team needed him and he steps up, and he really stepped up today on both ends of the floor. AJ (McKee) got us going with the first seven points and we kind of rolled from there."
Shane Nowell led the Viks with 14 points, one of three players in double-figures. The MKE defense was up to the task against a Portland State team that came into the night averaging 102.7 points per game, holding them over 30 points below their average and to 42.9 percent (27-of-63) from the floor overall, helped along by a strong closing well after the game was decided.
McKee scored the first seven points of the night and the Panthers never let up. Fulks hit a jumper at the 12:18 mark to grow the lead to double-figures for the first time at 19-9 and, after a PSU surge that had the deficit down to two, Milwaukee regrouped to take a 46-39 lead at the break by shooting nearly 60 percent (.581/18-31) in the opening 20 minutes.
The advantage stuck around 10 for an extended span to open the second, holding a 60-52 edge at the 13:44 mark. That was when the Panthers put their foot on the gas, scoring 31 of the next 40 points of the evening.
Learic Davis lit the spark, scoring on an alley-oop lay-in and then on a swished three from deep and it was 69-55. The lead hit 20 on a Stillwell three-pointer and 30 at 91-61 on a Stillwell tip-in with 3:39 to play.
For the night, Milwaukee shot 55.2 percent (37-of-67), with commanding leads of 45-29 on the glass, 56-44 in the paint, and 33-8 on fast break opportunities.
Up next, the team will take on Wofford Saturday in game two of the Cream City Challenge, set to tip off at 3 p.m. downtown. The Terriers are also 1-0 on the weekend after topping St. Thomas, 81-73, in the opener earlier Friday.
