TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Amare Hereford poured in a game-high 23 points, and the Milwaukee men's basketball team led nearly wire-to-wire Wednesday night, earning an 82-73 road victory over Indiana State at the Hulman Center.
"That's a good Indiana State team," head coach
Bart Lundy said. "I thought on film they had a lot of really good pieces. And to come into this environment and be able to grow up a little bit was nice. How they play is hard to guard. They're all spread out. They got multiple shooters. And I thought our guys, from what we talked about before the game with the scouting report, really absorbed everything. Knew tendencies."
The Panthers (2-2) picked up their second win of the season behind an efficient offensive performance, shooting 51.7 percent (31-of-60) from the field while placing five players in double figures against the Sycamores (1-2).
"We made in-game adjustments, and they were able to do that," Lundy said. "Not sure we could do that at all last year. A lot of growth. We will look back and talk about this as a big win for us."
Hereford added seven rebounds and six assists to go with his 23 points, finishing 8-of-12 from the floor in the impressive overall performance for the newcomer. In fact, his 23-point total marks the ninth-most in a game by a freshman in program history.
Danilo Jovanovich finished with 13 points and six rebounds, making 6-of-13 from the floor.
Nate Malosa chipped in 11 points (4-5 FG) and tied for the team lead with seven rebounds, and
Chandler Jackson added 11 points to go with a pair of steals and rebounds.
Tre Norman rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points, adding six rebounds.
"They really stepped up," Lundy said of the team. "I thought we played tough. We've been really emphasizing being tougher on the ball, more forceful with our finishes at the rim. And I thought we did all that. Our guards rebounded. They hadn't really been rebounding. And we get seven from Amare, get six from Tre. And we really, really desperately need that. Womack came in and got four off the bench. So, we need those guards to really rebound. Zay in 16 minutes gets two. So that's huge for this team."
Maguire Mitchell paced the home team with 19 points. The MKE defense held Karmani Gregory to 15 points – with much of those late – after he came into the contest averaging nearly 25 a game.
Milwaukee took control after falling behind early. The scoreboard read 12-6 before the team flipped the script on the deficit, using a 14-0 run to take control, making it 20-12 on a jumper from
Aaron Womack III at the 12:42 mark. Hereford and Jovanovich scored five points apiece to account for much of the run.
The team led by as many as nine before settling in for a 44-37 lead at the break. The Panthers then created some separation in the second half, turning a four-point advantage into a 14-point cushion with a decisive 10-0 run. The stretch pushed Milwaukee in front 65-51 with 10:28 remaining, giving the visitors control of the contest.
"We were able to slow down at times and control the ball," Lundy said. "We were able to slow down at times and possess the ball. And again, for a group that's not been together very long, hostile environment, the other team trying to make a run. They amped their pressure up, and we were able to possess it. So, it's big."
Indiana State made a push down the stretch, but Milwaukee maintained its advantage to secure the nine-point victory. Jovanovich's fadeaway with 91 seconds left put the game away at 78-68.
The Panthers finished with 42 points in the paint, had just eight turnovers, and 17 fast-break points while outrebounding the Sycamores, 43-33.
Milwaukee continues its road swing Friday, heading to Fort Worth, Texas, for a matchup against TCU. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
