Milwaukee, WI
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.”
Milwaukee, WI
Travelers see shorter lines at Milwaukee Mitchell despite the ongoing partial government shutdown
MILWAUKEE — Despite a partial government shutdown causing long TSA lines at airports across the country, travelers at Milwaukee Mitchell airport are experiencing short wait times ahead of spring break.
John Wahlen and his colleague Joe Orendorf were coming back home from North Carolina and prepared for a much different scene.
“We were remarkably surprised that it was as easy as it was,” Wahlen said.
Brendyn Jones/TMJ4
A national TSA spokesperson told TMJ4 that over 3,450 TSA officers called out across the country on Thursday. The national call-out rate was at 11.83% percent, the highest since the shutdown began.
While the TSA could not provide specific numbers for Milwaukee Mitchell, the airport was not in the top-10 for call-out rates.
The highest percentages of call-offs came from much larger airports, including George Bush Intercontinental in Houston at 44 percent, Atlanta at almost 41 percent, and Baltimore at 37 percent.
“We were in smaller airports, Raleigh-Durham, I think we waited for two people, and one of them was him,” Orendorf said.
Watch: Travelers see shorter lines at Milwaukee Mitchell despite the ongoing partial government shutdown
Travelers see shorter lines at Milwaukee Mitchell despite the ongoing partial government shutdown
A spokesperson for Milwaukee Mitchell told TMJ4 that around 11,000 people are expected this Friday and Saturday, and next Friday and Saturday as spring break travel peaks.
President Trump signed an executive order to pay TSA agents, meaning a resolution may be on the horizon. Travelers, including Selena Mauricio, said they are thankful for the agents who are still showing up.
Brendyn Jones/TMJ4
“Their jobs aren’t easy, and I commend the ones that still come to work, definitely,” Mauricio said.
This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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MILWAUKEE — A truck drove through the Grace Coffee Co. in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward on early Friday morning, the owners announced in a social media post.
Due to the extensive damage that was done, the coffee shop will be closed until further notice.
TMJ4
“We’re incredibly grateful no one was hurt, and we’ll keep you updated as we begin repairs,” the coffee shop said in the post.
TMJ4 reached out to the Milwaukee Police Department but have yet to hear back.
Let’s talk:
Hey there! At TMJ4 News, we’re all about listening to our audience and tackling the stuff that really matters to you. Got a story idea, tip, or just want to chat about this piece? Hit us up using the form below. For more ways to get in touch, head over to tmj4.com/tips.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
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MPS cuts face backlash
Milwaukee Public Schools plans about 200 layoffs to close a $46 million budget gap, but union leaders say cuts could impact student safety while district leaders say no classroom teachers will be eliminated.
MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee Public Schools is planning to cut roughly 200 positions next school year as the district works to close a multi-million-dollar budget gap — but there’s disagreement over which roles will be impacted.
What we know:
District leaders say the goal is to close a roughly $46 million shortfall, prompting changes that Superintendent Brenda Cassellius says are necessary.
Milwaukee Public Schools said about 201 staff members will be impacted. District leaders say no classroom teachers, counselors or social workers will be cut — something the teachers’ union disputes.
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The reductions stem from a previously approved plan to eliminate about 260 non-classroom roles. The final number dropped after retirements and existing vacancies. The Milwaukee Board of School Directors approved that plan on March 9.
What they’re saying:
“We have a $50 million deficit, we are for sure not going to be able to do business the same way that we’ve been able to do business,” Cassellius said. “Change is just hard. It’s just hard. And every single one of our employees is so important.”
But some educators say the cuts go too far.
“MTEA is setting up a distress signal. We are talking about our teachers, art teachers, music teachers, physical education teachers, counselors — things that the voters of referendum of Milwaukee actually voted for,” said Ingrid Walker-Henry, president of the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association. “Staffing is being cut to the extent that they are concerned about student safety.”
Cassellius acknowledged the uncertainty and asked school leaders for patience.
“We just have to for sure know our budget situation, where we’re at with that after these cuts are made in order to make those decisions,” she said. “So I’m asking my principals, be patient with us.”
By the numbers:
The district outlined the 201 affected positions as:
- 70 central office roles
- 62 educators with a teaching license but not assigned to one classroom
- 59 assistant principals
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MPS says the savings will support new class size guidelines, including:
- 18 students per teacher in K3
- 20 students per teacher in K4
- 22 students per teacher in K5
Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS)
District leaders say no students will be asked to leave a school to meet class size guidelines. Officials say they are working with schools that may not have space or that require larger classes based on specific programs.
What’s next:
Milwaukee Public Schools plans to present its proposed 2026–27 budget to the Milwaukee Board of School Directors in May.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by Milwaukee Public Schools and prior FOX6 coverage.
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