Montana
3-6
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
5-6
Panthers defeat Grizzlies 73-58
12/14/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Box Score
MILWAUKEE, WIS. - The University of Montana Grizzlies could not overcome a 21-point first-half deficit, and suffered a 73-58 loss to the host University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin Panthers Sunday afternoon in UMW's Klotsche Center.
The Grizzlies are now 3-6 overall, and have lost four of their last five, while the Panthers go to 5-6.
Montana took an early 8-7 lead on a jump shot by sophomore guard Mario Dunn at the 16:24 mark of the opening half. However, after that the Panthers out-scored the Grizzlies 26 to 4, and when junior forward Matt Tiby connected on a 3-point shot, UMW took a commanding 33-12 advantage with 5:57 left until halftime.
The Griz made a mini-run in the final three-and-a-half minutes of the first half, on a pair of made jumpers by senior guard Jordan Gregory along with 5 points from sophomore guard/forward Jermaine Edmonds Jr., and trimmed the Panthers' lead to 37-25 at the break.
The second half was more of the same, though, and the closest the Griz could get to the Panthers was 12 points (39-27) with 17:37 left in the contest on a lay-up by junior forward Martin Breunig. UMW took its largest lead on the game of 22 points (53-31) on a pair of free throws by Tiby with 11:30 remaining.
"I feel like they were a little better prepared than us," said first-year UM head coach Travis DeCuire on the post-game radio show on KGVO 101.5 FM. "They came out very physical and pushed us around. I felt like they played a lot harder than we did to start the game. We got some momentum to finish the (first) half, but once again a foul here and a foul there, and they slowed down Breunig, and then we a missed shot here and there, and they still led by 15 or 16 points."
Gregory led the Grizzlies with a game-high 21 points, and he scored 17 points in the second half. Edmonds added 13 points, while Dunn scored 11, and Breunig had 10. Gregory has now scored 20 or more points in Montana's last four games.
Breunig and Gregory led UM with 4 rebounds each. Breunig was hampered with foul trouble and fouled out with 9:40 left to play in 23 minutes of action. The Griz once again played without injured senior forward Mike Weisner, who missed his second game in a row.
UMW had five players score in double figures, led by J.R. Lyle with 16, while fellow guards Steve McWhorter and Akeem Springs added 15, and 14 points, respectively. Tiby had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. The Panthers out-rebounded the Grizzlies 34-23.
The Grizzlies are back in action next Sunday, Dec. 21, hosting South Dakota, with tip-off at 1:05 p.m. in UM's Dahlberg Arena. The Panthers are at SIU Edwardsville on Dec. 20.
