MILWAUKEE – Amar Augillard scored 28 points and Josh Dixon added 20 to lead the way for the Milwaukee men's basketball team as head coach Bart Lundy recorded the 500^th victory of his NCAA career with a 95-83 win over IU Indy Sunday afternoon at UWM Panther Arena.
 
The Panthers (8-10, 4-3 Horizon League) shot over 70 percent in the second half and used a key scoring run down the stretch to post their 11^th consecutive decision over the Jaguars (4-15, 0-8 Horizon League) in the all-time series.
 
"Just really proud of our group," Lundy said. "We have had a lot of adversity, and I thought the positivity today on our bench and at out shootaround was amazing. It was fun to watch; it was fun to be a part of. We had contributions up and down the lineup. Proud of the group … we are going to stay positive and keep rolling with positive vibes until March and see what this group can do."
 
Aaron Franklin was also instrumental in the decision, coming through with a career-high double-double of 19 points and 14 rebounds – made even more huge with yet another member of the starting lineup (Jovanovich) missing the contest to injury.
 
In his 24^th season on the sidelines, Lundy becomes the 22^nd active NCAA coach to reach 500 career victories at all levels. He has done so winning at a .678 clip – with a list of around only 40 coaches all-time reaching the plateau with a higher winning percentage.
 
"Just grateful," Lundy said when asked what the 500^th win means to him. "Just grateful for every player, coach, administrator. Just extremely grateful. It's a little surreal … it's a lot of games. I told the group in there, of all the 500, there are a few that I really remember. But this is one of the more memorable. Not just because it was 500, but because of what we were up against and how they came out and stuck together."
 
Augillard came up big, scoring those season-high 28 points while adding seven rebounds. He was 10-of-16 from the floor and went 6-of-7 from the line, tying the highest single-game total for a Panther this season.
 
Dixon netted his 20 on 7-of-11 shooting, connecting on 4-of-6 from downtown while adding three assists.
 
Franklin's second career double-double featured an efficient 8-of-10 shooting from the floor, with the 14 boards the most for a member of the roster this season.
 
"He's looking over there at those four seniors sitting out (with injury) and he's really taken a leadership role," Lundy said. "He speaks softly but carries a big stick. Just proud of him."
 
Isaiah Dorceus added nine points and four assists, while Sekou Konneh added six points and nine rebounds off the bench.
 
Kyler D'Augustino led the 'Jags – who came into the day as one of the more potent offenses in the country averaging over 85 a game – with 24 points. Maguire Mitchell added 19 points.
 
In a matchup that featured nine ties and eight lead changes, the MKE offense took over down the stretch. Trailing, 75-72, with just over six minutes to play, the Panthers would not miss the rest of the way – ripping off a 15-1 scoring run to take control while making each of their final nine shots from the floor on the afternoon.
 
Augillard hit a three to get the ball rolling and tie the game at 75-all. From there, it was a showcase for the offense. Esyah Pippa-White added a jumper in front of five more from Augillard. Another fastbreak layup on the next possession from Dorceus forced an IU Indy timeout at the 3:47 mark with MKE ahead, 83-76. Konneh added back-to-back layups on nice moves to push the lead back to 11 and the game was never in doubt the rest of the way. Chandler Jackson added an emphatic dunk in the final minute to put an exclamation point on the victory.
 
The Panthers trailed, 43-41, at intermission but connected on 72.4 percent (21-of-29) from the floor after the break to finish at 60.3 percent (35-of-58) on the day – the 10^th-best percentage in a game against an NCAA Division I opponent in program history. The team made 37.5 percent (9-of-24) of its three's and 64.0 percent (16-of-25) from the line. The Jaguars finished at 48.4 percent (31-of-63), making 32.0 percent (8-of-25) from deep, and 92.9 percent (13-of-14) from the line. Milwaukee claimed the rebound edge, 37-24, and also had the 22-15 advantage in fastbreak points on the day.
 
Up next, the Panthers remain at UWM Panther Arena, next playing Thursday when they host Oakland. Game time is set for 6 p.m. against the Golden Grizzlies, with a national broadcast available on ESPNU.