GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Milwaukee men's basketball team erased an early 21-point deficit to take the lead in the second half, coming up just short when its shot at overtime narrowly missed in a 79-76 decision to Green Bay Monday night at the Kress Center.
 
The Panthers (7-9, 3-2 Horizon League) flipped the game around against the Phoenix (8-8, 3-2 Horizon League) with a 26-point turnaround, digging out of a 42-21 hole to lead, 62-57, with just under eight minutes to play. The game was tied again late at 67-all, with the MKE offense running out of time as the final shot failed to extend the contest. Green Bay would hold on to win for the first time in five games in the all-time series.
 
"It just takes so much energy to come back from those kinds of deficits," head coach Bart Lundy said. "We have to figure out how to guard better; how to keep people out of the paint. But give Green Bay credit, they played better than we did."
 
Danilo Jovanovich led the way with a strong showing, scoring 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the floor. He added five rebounds and played all 40 minutes on the night.
 
Isaiah Dorceus scored a season-high 14 points, hitting key three's down the stretch as part of his 4-of-6 showing from deep.
 
Chandler Jackson, Esyah Pippa-White, and Amar Augillard all chipped in 10 to join them in double-figures. The team was shorthanded again, this time playing without starter Faizon Fields due to an injury he suffered against Wright State last Thursday.
 
"I thought our offense was fine," Lundy said. "Defensively, we gave up 72 percent (shooting) in the first half and 62 percent for the game … you're not going to win many college basketball games that way."
 
Justin Allen led GB with a game-high 21. C.J. O'Hara added 19 points and didn't miss a shot, going 8-for-8 from the floor.
 
The Phoenix came out red-hot, making its first nine shots from the floor to build leads of 10-2 and 22-9 on its way to the largest of the night – with the scoreboard reading 42-21 with 6:01 left before intermission.
 
The Panthers dug in and got it back to 14 at the break at 46-32, this despite Green Bay shooting 72.7 percent (16-of-22) in the opening 20 minutes.
 
Jovanovich nailed a three at the horn to help spur a big run to get back in it, with the visitors eventually scoring 12 unanswered points to get back within seven early in the second on a Dorceus triple at 46-39.
 
GB would try and get separation but Milwaukee would not give in.
 
An Augillard fastbreak layup trimmed the margin to six at 50-44 and was a one-possession game when Dorceus' deep ball made it 52-49. Pippa-White made it a new game at 54-all on a free throw and two more from the charity stripe from Augillard put MKE ahead for the first time at 56-55 with 10:04 to play.
 
Jackson hit another key three to give the Panthers their biggest advantage at 62-57, but the team could not find a big stop and a few baskets that were halfway in came back out to slow down the momentum.
 
"We fought back and had a chance to go up seven, had a 3-on-1 break and didn't convert and they did on the other end, and I thought that was a huge play," Lundy said.
 
The Phoenix used a 10-3 run to edge back ahead at 67-65. Tied again at 67, a narrow miss on one end by a home three on the other, a huge swing down the stretch. Jovanovich's three-point play with 26.7 left trimmed the margin to two and Dorceus' attempt at the buzzer looked online but banged off the back of the rim.
 
For the game, Milwaukee shot an even 50.0 percent (27-of-54), connecting on 45.5 percent (10-of-22) from deep. Green Bay slowed down in the second half but still finished at 62.2 percent (28-of-45) and used a 29-17 advantage in free throw attempts to gain important separation. The Panthers grabbed the 27-24 edge in rebounds and, without Fields, were outscored 44-24 in the paint.
 
Up next, the Panthers return home for the first of three consecutive at UWM Panther Arena, starting Friday when they host Northern Kentucky. Game time is set for 7 p.m. against the Norse.