Reserves provide needed lift

Panthers’ bench strong at home

points to go with four assists. He began the night averaging 6.0 points per game.

“We keep talking in our locker room about needing everybody in the room,” Milwaukee coach LaVall Jordan said. “So you cannot be disengaged when you’re on the bench.

“What I love about these guys is they love each other. Nobody cares who gets the credit. That’s the kind of program and team we want to have.”

Milwaukee’s bench dominated to the tune of a 36-10 advantage over Jacksonville (5-3), and the Panthers’ reserves had the same number of points as the starters.

One backup, Brock Stull, led the way with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Another, Cody Wichmann, contributed 14 points and five rebounds.

“The guys that came off the bench were fantastic,” Jordan said. “We’re going to need that every night. This was a true team win.”

The Dolphins, playing their first game at UWM, got within three points on two occasions in the last minute but were kept at bay.

“We have to learn how to play with a lead,” Jordan said. “And some things you just can’t simulate in practice. I thought our response was terrific.”

Studer’s only basket of the second half gave Milwaukee its biggest lead, 48-35, with 13 minutes 59 seconds remaining.

The Panthers’ lead was 65-58 with 2:02 left after a three-pointer from Stull was made on an assist from Bell.

Bell’s layup to break Jacksonville’s full-court press gave his team a 6860 lead with 1:36 remaining, and he added two free throws for a 70-65 advantage with 19.5 seconds to go.

“Just coming off the bench, I felt like I needed to embrace my role for my team,” Bell said.

“Whatever my teammates need me to do, whatever my coaches need me to do, I’m going to do it and give it my all.”

It was a rare home game for Milwaukee, which is in a stretch with nine of 10 games on the road.

The team’s only other game at the Panther Arena was its season opener on Nov. 11. And the Panthers aren’t back until Dec. 19 against Belmont, although they host Western Illinois on Dec. 17 at the Klotsche Center.

“It was good to be back home, knowing we’re going to go on the road for a couple more games and having been on the road the last week and a half,” Jordan said. “Guys were excited to be back in Panther Arena.”