MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The Milwaukee men's basketball team trailed by just a basket at halftime but was unable to find a way to rally late and come up with a big road win at Robert Morris, falling by a final score of 72-59 Sunday afternoon at UPMC Events Center.
 
The Panthers (19-10, 12-6 Horizon League) and Colonials (22-8, 14-5 Horizon League) were locked up in a battle near the top of the conference standings, which now sees just 2.5 games separate first from fifth place with one week remaining.
 
Jamichael Stillwell led the MKE offense with a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds, marking his 15^th double-double of the season. He added a career-best five steals and a block.
 
Erik Pratt added a team-high 13 points off the bench, making 3-of-6 shots from deep while adding five rebounds.
 
"We missed some shots, but give them credit, they were the tougher team," head coach Bart Lundy said. "If we are going to win a championship, we have to be tougher in the lane, have to be able to come into environments like this and not get out-rebounded. They were better in every area. We weren't ready to play with the edge we have been playing with and that's my fault."
 
Alvaro Folgueiras led four RMU players in double-figures for the home side, adding a double-double of 12 rebounds as the team improved to 15-2 at home this season as well as an impressive 12-1 its past 13 games overall.
 
"We couldn't stop them at all," Lundy said. "They made 3's, they got cuts to the rim, we under-helped, we over-helped … we made every mistake we could have made and inevitably that falls on me."
 
Despite a slow start, the Panthers batted back and made it a game. Down 17-11 early, it was knotted on a jumper from Themus Fulks at 17-17 before the Colonials ripped off a 9-0 spurt to grab their biggest lead of the opening period at 26-17. Milwaukee rallied down the stretch, scoring nine of the final 11 points before the halftime horn to trail by just two at 28-26.
 
RMU would continue to build a lead in the second, with the Panthers attempting numerous rallies but unable to sustain any of them beyond a few possessions.
 
The deficit was 13 at 48-35 with 12 minutes to go before three's from Pratt and Aaron Franklin had the visitors within striking distance again down eight at 54-46. The team could not get over the hump, seeing RMU go back up by double-digits the next possession and lead by at least that many the rest of the way.
 
A tough shooting day was too much to overcome, as MKE finished at 34.9 percent (22-of-63) from the floor overall, 26.9 percent (7-of-26) from three, and 66.7 percent (8-of-12) from the line.
 
RMU finished at 46.4 percent (26-of-56) from the floor overall, 50.0 percent (8-of-16) from deep, and 75.0 percent (12-of-16) from the line and also became just the fourth team to out-rebound the Panthers this season (42-33).
 
Up next, the Panthers return home for the final two games of the regular season, next hitting the court Thursday to host Oakland. Game time from UWM Panther Arena against the Golden Grizzlies is set for 7 p.m.