The Milwaukee Panthers have now completed the Indiana slate of the Horizon League schedule, posting a 2-2 record. After sweeping IUPUI a week ago, they were swept by PFW this weekend. Milwaukee is now 5-4 overall and 4-3 in the Horizon League.
GAME 1
In Game 1, the Panthers lost 81-72. They led by three at halftime, before they were outscored by twelve in the final twenty minutes. Jarred Godfrey was a driving force for the Mastodons, finishing with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists, nearly missing out on a triple-double. Dylan Carl also had an effective day for PFW, as he finished 5/5 from the floor, scoring 12 points. Of note to our readers, Jarvis Walker (Muskegon, MI) scored five points on 2/3 shooting in fourteen minutes on the floor.
Milwaukee had a trio of players finish in double figures in this defeat. DeAndre Gholston led the team with sixteen points on 6/12 shooting and 3/7 from beyond the arc. Josh Thomas, who played a team-high 35 minutes, scored thirteen points shooting 6/15. Tafari Simms was the third Panther in double digits, with 10 points on 3/11 from the field and 4/4 from the free-throw line.
GAME 2
The Mastodons completed the sweep with a strong start to the second game. They took a 38-29 halftime lead, holding onto that lead despite being outscored 45-43. Jarred Godfrey again had a strong day, with 18 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds, playing 36 minutes in the contest. Jalon Pipkins (16), Bobby Planutis (15) and Dylan Carl (10) were the other three players from PFW in double figures. Muskegon native Jarvis Walker played eighteen minutes, hitting 2/3 shots and 2/2 free throws to finish with eight points.
Milwaukee saw a phenomenal performance from Tafari Simms. He had 24 points on 8/12 shooting, and he added eight rebounds to that tally. Te’Jon Lucas got back in double figures with a sixteen point game. Lucas was a facilitator, with a team-high seven assists. DeAndre Gholston, who was 5/10 from the field, was the third Panther player in double figures, finishing the game with 14 points.
ANALYSIS
In a promising note for Milwaukee, they have been in every game this year. Their four losses are by a combined 20 points. The bad news? That’s four losses (three in Horizon League play) they could have flipped. We saw this last year, an inability to win close games. They are 3-4 in single-digit games this year. In a crowded Horizon League, these narrow defeats may come back to bite the Panthers in the final standings.
DeAndre Gholston continues to be an exciting addition to this team. The JUCO transfer is averaging a team-high 13.3 PPG, and he has been an efficient shooter. He is making 48.4% of his field goal attempts, and 41.2% of his three-point tries.
The surging Tafari Simms could help these Panthers go to another level. His ability to stretch the floor at 6-7/212 could be vital as they face some of the longer teams in the league. He is 11/19 from beyond the arc, and his scoring average has shot up to 9.3 per game after this weekend.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The Panthers will travel to the “Mistake by the Lake”, Cleveland, Ohio. There will be a two-game set against the Cleveland State Vikings, who sit atop the Horizon League standings at 9-1 . This weekend, they split with Wright State, taking the first game (66-64) before getting dominated in game two (85-49). This split allows them to hold a two-game lead over the Raiders in the Horizon League standings.
Despite a 21-8 turnover edge that led to a 22-7 advantage in points off of turnovers, the Panthers could not pull out this victory.
Tuori Sports Report 