Panthers Beat the Pirates in Season Opener

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Photo by Michael Burmesch

UW-Milwaukee Panthers Arena

UW-Milwaukee Panthers Arena, formerly MECCA

The 2025-26 college basketball season tipped off Monday, as teams across the country took the floor with a blank slate and infinite dreams. In Milwaukee, UWM men’s basketball coach Bart Lundy looked to steer the Panthers to their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2014.

Milwaukee, the preseason Horizon League favorites, hosted the Hampton Pirates out of the Coastal Athletic Association — another new-look but experienced team with their own aspirations.

Led by their fresh faces, the Panthers looked like tournament contenders at times and did just enough to hold off the Pirates for a 90-86 season-opening win. Toledo transfer Seth Hubbard led the hosts with 23 points while making four three-pointers.

Early Nerves

With numerous new pieces on the floor, both teams struggled to find a rhythm early. UWM trailed 17-15 nearing the midway point of the first half when it created its first breakthrough, courtesy of DePaul transfer Sekou Konneh.

Konneh, who spent last season as a redshirt freshman for the Blue Demons, scored six consecutive points for his new team. The highlight was a poster dunk over a Hampton defender created by a no-look Amar Augillard dish.

The Panthers continued to build their lead through Seth Hubbard. Another newcomer, the guard hit back-to-back threes, extending the Milwaukee lead to 27-19. More timely outside shooting, this time a pair of makes from freshman Stevie Elam, gave UWM a 12-point advantage as part of a larger 19-9 run — putting the Pirates on the ropes.

Coach Lundy emphasized the late first-half run as a glimpse at the level of basketball his team can play. “There were some stretches,” Lundy said after the game, “like the last eight minutes or so in the first half, where we really looked like the team we can become.”

Milwaukee entered halftime with a 49-36 lead thanks to eight made threes and a 12-rebound advantage. The Panthers were feeling pretty good about themselves. But Hampton fought back.

Pirates Persist

The second half turned into a slugfest marred by fouls and free throws. With the pace slowed, the visitors methodically cut into UWM’s lead.

Hampton guard Jalyke Gaines-Wyatt forced the issue, using his physical drives to slash into the paint and either finish through contact or draw a foul. The veteran finished with a game-high 25 points and 13 fouls drawn.

Lundy addressed the game’s sluggish flow after halftime, saying, “The pace of the game was really good for us. That's when their point guard, Gaines-Wyatt, started to figure out [he] could drive us and we'd foul him. He kept them in it in the first half. I thought we could have blown it open then, but he got to the free-throw line.”

Despite Gaines-Wyatt’s efforts, Hampton still trailed by nine points approaching eight minutes remaining. Then Kody Williams nailed a huge three-pointer and was fouled by Stevie Elam. Williams missed the ensuing free throw, but the Pirates grabbed the offensive board and scored via a pull-up jumper to pull within four.

Elam and the Panthers returned the favor on the next possession, as the young guard nailed a three and absorbed a collision with a Hampton defender. After tumbling into the first row, Elam dusted himself off and calmly hit the free-throw after the under-eight media timeout.

Two possessions later, Elam sank a put-back layup off an airballed Esyah Pippa-White jumper to extend the Panthers’ lead back to 11. It was an impressive showing from a player making his collegiate debut, as Elam finished with 16 points, six rebounds, and three blocks.

Elam attributed his immediate success to his preparation and the leadership of teammates and coaches. “Just being ready,” Elam said when asked about his confident play. “Every day, getting better in practice. Practices are tough, and it's good to go at each other. Older guys teaching me, coaches. I've got a great coaching staff, so they help me stay ready. My moment will come.”

Pressure at the Line

The Pirates continued to fight, staying in the game thanks to a never-ending string of missed free throws. The Panthers bricked 19 times from the charity stripe — 15 in the second half alone — awakening ill-fated memories of the season-ending Horizon League Tournament loss to Oakland that ended the 2024-25 campaign.

With the final minutes approaching, Hampton nailed treys on consecutive possessions to get within four points. From there, the free-throw frenzy reached its apex. The Panthers bricked eight times from the line in the final four minutes, including one stretch where they went 1-7, as their lead dwindled to two points with 3:21 remaining.

Still, Milwaukee did just enough defensively to keep Hampton at bay, forcing contested shots and limiting second-chance opportunities. The conference favorites gritted out a 90-86 win.

Coach Lundy felt the margin should have been wider, but was proud of how his team battled against adversity. “If we make free throws, it's a whole different conversation,” Lundy said. “But at the same time, we kept them at bay when we could have broken. I'd rather learn all these lessons with a win.”

The Panthers travel to South Carolina to face Wofford on November 8 before returning home to host Little Rock on November 10.