By Madie Chandler | @madie_chandler
Sports Capital Journalism Program
INDIANAPOLIS — “One more,” Milwaukee coach Bart Lundy said while holding up an index finger for the Panthers’ fans at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. The fans responded “One more!” as the Milwaukee players ran towards the stands to celebrate their 82-75 upset win over Northern Kentucky in a Horizon League men’s semifinal game Monday night.
The sixth-seeded Panthers (20-14) became the lowest seed to reach the tournament’s championship game since Cleveland State accomplished the feat as an eight seed in 2018. Milwaukee has a chance to equal the achievement of the 2002 UIC Flames, which became the only sixth seed in the history of the league tournament to become champion.
Milwaukee’s potential path to the school’s fifth NCAA tournament bid, and the first in 10 years, now intersects with the likes of Oakland, the Horizon League’s regular season champs. The Panthers are no strangers to the underdog label, however. Their tournament path includes victories over three-seed Green Bay, and now five-seed Northern Kentucky.
The Norse defense kept most recent Horizon League Player of the Week BJ Freeman quiet through most of the first half, only allowing his first points on a layup through contact with just over six minutes to play in the first frame. Freeman started the game cold, missing his first four shots. Just five of his 27 points came in the first half.
“I think if you’re going to advance in games like this and tournaments like this…and your spirit is wrong, it only takes a little bit,” Lundy said. “I sat BJ [Freeman] down for a little bit…and he came out and obviously was unbelievable in the second half. The spirit is right.”
Northern Kentucky was limited to seven players. Junior Sam Vinson, the second-leading scorer with an average of 13.3 points and an average of 2.38 steals per game, 12th best in the nation, has been out since December because of a knee injury.
Northern Kentucky’s Trey Robinson was Freeman’s first half opposite in all ways. Robinson began the game in rhythm, notching 10 points in nine minutes and starting a perfect 4-of-4 from the floor. His efficient 33 points in 38 minutes led the Norse (18-15), though they fell short of victory due to Freeman’s second half heroics.
“I think they did a great job of getting downhill,” Northern Kentucky coach Darrin Horn said of the Panthers. “We just didn’t do a good job of going to the basketball…and Freeman is, I think, a special player, especially at this level.”
Freeman is one of just four players across the NCAA to average better than 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists. His 21.4 points per game is 11th best in the NCAA and earned second team All-Horizon League honors for the second consecutive year.
Freeman’s junior season has been nothing short of historic for Milwaukee, and his All-League selection makes him the first Panther to achieve the honor since 2006. He leads his team in three major stat categories – points, rebounds and assists – despite missing seven of Milwaukee’s first 13 games of the season with an injury.
“We’re not trying to go home yet,” Freeman said. “We’ve still got unfinished business.”
