Milwaukee, WI

Another resounding loss to a mid-major leaves UW-Milwaukee searching for answers

Published

1 week ago

November 14, 2024

Another resounding loss to a mid-major leaves UW-Milwaukee searching for answers

The UW-Milwaukee Panthers dropped their second straight road game to a mid-major in ugly fashion, this one a 76-62 setback at Longwood on Wednesday night in Farmville, Virginia.

But coach Bart Lundy isn’t pressing the panic button. Not even close.

“I really believe that we’re fine. We’re better than fine,” said Lundy, whose team also lost at Northern Iowa, 87-68, on Nov. 7. “We’re in such a better place than we were a year ago, it’s not close. These are good teams. You get down a little, you make some mistakes and these aren’t games you’re going to win.

“Things have got to be tighter, and you’ve got to make shots.”

The Panthers had their backs against the wall before they even took the court with senior guard Erik Pratt not making the trip.

UWM responded poorly, enduring a horrid shooting night (35.9%), committing 20 turnovers and being more than doubled up at the free throw line in trailing nearly wire to wire.

Kentrell Pullian had 19 points and six rebounds and AJ McKee 16 points, with no other Panthers player managing more than six.

Things won’t get any easier for UWM, either, as it next plays at Duquesne on Nov. 19 before finally returning to its home court.

Here are four takeaways from the loss.

Where was Erik Pratt?

While he has yet to hit a three-pointer this season, the 6-foot-5 Pratt is nevertheless the Panthers’ most reliable perimeter shooter.

But after averaging 23 minutes in starting UWM’s first two games, Pratt was conspicuous by his absence Wednesday.

“He did not make the trip and he’s taken a leave from the team for personal reasons,” Lundy explained. “When you look at the stat sheet, the shooting category, yeah, that’s what people are going to say (that Pratt will be tough to replace). Well, Erik is a shot maker, but there’s other guys that do other things.

“Next man up, and we’ll adapt and adjust. And I think this team will be just fine.”

Lundy also said that it’s looking like junior forward Danilo Jovanovich, a Whitnall High School graduate, might be looking at a redshirt season as he continues to deal with a torn elbow ligament suffered in a preseason scrimmage.

Ball security took a major step backwards

After lacking a true point guard in each of Lundy’s first two years at UWM, he landed a battle-tested senior floor general in transfer Themus Fulks.

He’d dished out nine assists with just one turnover in an average of 28 minutes in his two starts entering Wednesday but took a major step back with five apiece against Longwood.

The giveaways were contagious, too, as UWM committed 20 in 40 minutes that led directly to 24 points for the opposition.

That can’t happen any night – let alone on the road against an opponent loaded up with talented transfers.

“They were really tough defensively,” Lundy said. “They were physical and (the game) was allowed to kind of be played that way. We made some mistakes, too. Of our four of five charges, I’d say four were legitimate. We’ve got to make better decisions.”

Shooting needs work

UWM shot 29.7% (11 for 37) from beyond the arc in its first two games.

It followed up with a 4-for-24 performance (16.7%) against Longwood with Pullian (1 for 7), McKee (1 for 5), John Lovelace Jr. (1 for 3) and Esyah Pippa-White (1 for 1) accounting for the meager number of makes.

The outcome could have been much worse for the Panthers were it not for a similarly poor shooting night by the Lancers (4 for 16 from three, 39.3% overall for the game).

“I don’t think we’re the greatest shooting team, but I think we’re a good shooting team,” said Lundy. “We watch it every day. We make shots every day (in practice). I think it’s just a matter of time. Getting beat on the road and getting down a little bit makes you press. I think we’ve got to see some success, see some balls go in, and a lot of that will take care of itself.

“But we got pretty good shots. We really played hard.”

UWM also went to the line just 20 times and knocked down 12 while Longwood hit 28 of 40, including 9 of 13 over the final 2 minutes 50 seconds.

The game swung on one second-half sequence

UWM was gathering momentum midway through the second half and after Pullian’s three-point make had pulled to within 47-42.

After forcing a pair of three-point misses on the other end, the ball ended up in the hands of junior forward Jamichael Stillwell, who missed a wide-open bunny that could have made it a one-possession game.

Longwood corralled the ball, hurried it back down and converted on a monster slam dunk by Elijah Tucker. UWM responded by turning it over on its possession, Michael Christmas knocked down a pair of free throws on the other end and just like that the deficit had lengthened back out to 51-42 with 9:11 remaining.

“I thought there were a couple of those (sequences) where we really got close and had really good opportunities,” Lundy said. “We’re going to watch this film and see a lot of missed opportunities.”

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Milwaukee, WI

What are the road conditions in and around Milwaukee Thursday morning?

Published

5 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

What are the road conditions in and around Milwaukee Thursday morning?

As Milwaukee sees its first snowfall of the season Thursday morning, you should brace for some tricky road conditions on your morning commute.

Two to four inches of wet, heavy snow is possible in the Milwaukee area, making for a “messy morning commute,” the National Weather Service Milwaukee wrote on X. Motorists should drive slowly and with caution throughout the morning, NWS said.

Here’s what to plan ahead for if you’re commuting in Milwaukee on Thursday.

What are the road conditions in and around Milwaukee this morning?

As of 8:15 a.m. Thursday, all of Milwaukee and its surrounding areas — including Interstates 41, 43 and 94 — were seeing “slippery stretches,” according to 511 Wisconsin. Several highways are also seeing one or more lanes blocked due to crashes or stalled vehicles.

If you’re traveling on I-94 this morning, NWS wrote on X that conditions south of the I-94 corridor, especially between Milwaukee and Madison, would “quickly deteriorate” as snow continues.

In affected areas, drivers should plan for slushy snow accumulation and low visibility on the roads, NWS said.

Accidents reported in Milwaukee on Thursday morning

As of 8:15 a.m. Thursday, several crashes or incidents have been reported in Milwaukee that could affect traffic, 511 Wisconsin reported:

7:49 a.m. – I-794 West 1.3 miles beyond the ramp from Carferry Road. The center lane is blocked due to a crash.
7:44 a.m. – I-43 South at ramp from Wisconsin Avenue. The left shoulder is blocked due to a crash.
7:50 a.m. – Ramp from I-94 East to I-43/94 South. Shoulders are closed due to a disabled vehicle.
7:51 a.m. – I-794 West at Michigan Street. The right shoulder is blocked due to a disabled vehicle.
7:52 a.m. – I-43 South at I-794 East. The center lane is blocked due to a crash.
7:57 a.m. – I-43/94 North at Ramp from 6th and Mineral Street. The center lane is blocked due to a disabled vehicle.

Accidents reported in Milwaukee suburbs on Thursday morning

7:15 a.m. – Disabled vehicle on ramp from Burleigh Street to I-41/US 45 North.
7:22 a.m. – I-94 West 1.3 miles beyond the ramp from Highway 100. The right shoulder is blocked due to a crash.
7:23 a.m. – I-43 North at Hampton Avenue East. The left shoulder is blocked due to a crash.
7:37 a.m. – I-94 West at ramp from Moreland Boulevard East. The right shoulder is blocked due to a crash.
7:42 a.m. – Highway 38 South at Air Cargo Way (by the Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport). The right lane is closed due to a crash.
7:52 a.m. – I-41/894 South 0.3 miles beyond the ramp from National Avenue. The right shoulder is blocked due to a disabled vehicle.
7:54 a.m. – Ramp from I-94 West to I-41/US 45 North. The right shoulder is blocked due to a disabled vehicle.
8:05 a.m. – I-41/US 45 North at North Avenue. The 3 right lanes are blocked due to a disabled vehicle.

To look up road conditions on your morning commute, check out 511 Wisconsin’s live map.

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Milwaukee, WI

Family: Missing Milwaukee girl found safe, gas station taped off

Published

13 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

Family: Missing Milwaukee girl found safe, gas station taped off

Winter Weather Advisory

from THU 6:00 AM CST until THU 12:00 PM CST, Racine County, Sheboygan County, Dodge County, Ozaukee County, Washington County, Milwaukee County, Fond Du Lac County, Jefferson County, Waukesha County, Kenosha County, Walworth County

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Milwaukee, WI

Mother of Riverwest hit-and-run victim looking for accountability

Published

20 hours ago

November 20, 2024

Press Room

Mother of Riverwest hit-and-run victim looking for accountability

MILWAUKEE — Monday night was terrifying for Ashley Kirkwood. She received a call from her daughter that no parent ever wants to hear.

Kennedy Kirkwood, 16, was crossing Locust on Holton in Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood when she was hit by a black SUV turning onto Locust.

The car slowed down but then drove off without checking on Kennedy. The teenager was left alone, injured, and in the rain.

“It’s just heartbreaking that we’ve become a culture of, ‘Okay, we’re just going to leave a person like that,’” Kirkwood said.

Brendyn Jones/TMJ4

Ashley spoke with TMJ4 about the incident, saying watching the video was difficult for her.

“As parents, that’s something you always worry about,” Kirkwood told TMJ4.

Watch: Mother of Riverwest hit-and-run victim looking for accountability

Family speaks out after 16-year-old injured in hit-and-run near Holton and Locust

She works on the other side of the city and couldn’t be there immediately, so she turned to social media.

Kirkwood posted about the incident on the Riverwest Facebook page.

“Thankfully, within minutes, Riverwest responded,” Kirkwood said. “Over 100 comments, and they were right out here.”

Helpful neighbors stayed with Kennedy until authorities arrived to take her to Children’s Hospital. Kirkwood said she’s grateful to the Riverwest community for their support.

Kennedy is safe at home, but now Kirkwood is looking for answers.

She told TMJ4 she spoke to authorities the night of the incident and called them back after obtaining video of the accident. As of Wednesday afternoon, she had not heard back from police about any updates on the incident.

“I understand that she wasn’t injured to the point where it’s something we’re seeing every day, but we need to take this seriously, and people need to be held accountable,” Kirkwood said.

Kirkwood plans to reach out to Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs and Mayor Cavalier Johnson about the situation.

Milwaukee police say they are looking for the driver of a black SUV. Anyone with information is urged to call authorities at (414) 935-7252.

Kirkwood told TMJ4 she understands things happen, but choosing to leave the scene is unacceptable.

“This was a human being, and we left her out in the rain after running her over,” Kirkwood said.

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