UWM Hosted Cream City Challenge

It was a weekend brimming with high-quality mid-major college basketball.

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Four teams. Six games. Three days. The Cream City Challenge returned to Milwaukee on November 22 for a weekend brimming with high-quality mid-major college basketball.

Hosted by the UWM men’s basketball team at Panther Arena, the four-team event welcomed the Portland State Vikings (Oregon), St. Thomas Tommies (St. Paul, MN) and Wofford Terriers (South Carolina).

The weekend offered plenty of local intrigue. The St. Thomas roster included five Wisconsinites (Ben Nau and Nolan Minessale of Brookfield, Miles Barnstable of Howards Grove, Rich Byhre of Delafield and Tim Franks of Mequon). Wofford had Jeremy Lorenz of Brillion, WI.

Nau, Minessale, Barnstable, and Byhre played meaningful minutes for the Tommies. When Jeremy Lorenz subbed in for the Terriers, there were as many as four Wisconsinites on the floor—an exceptional total for a matchup of out-of-state programs. 

Despite competing with Milwaukee Bucks and Green Bay Packers games, the round-robbin setup attracted healthy crowds to the Downtown gymnasium providing excellent entertainment to college basketball fanatics and neophytes alike.

Game 1: A statement of intent

A dreary Milwaukee afternoon and a neutral site game featuring two out-of-town teams is not the ideal formula for an entertaining evening of college basketball. But St. Thomas and Wofford provided a clinic in offensive execution in the Cream City Challenge opener.

Wofford controlled the post through big man Kyler Filewich, who finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Filwich’s interior presence opened space for a lineup full of shooters and created driving lanes for All-Southern Conference guard Corey Tripp.

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St. Thomas fired away from three, using cuts, screens, and quick ball movement to free up its marksmen—with head coach John Tauer often employing five floor-spacers at a time.

The Tommies kept pace from beyond the arc but could not disrupt the Terries down low. Wofford finished with a 12-rebound advantage and shot 20-33 from inside the arc in a competitive 81-73 triumph.

Game 2: Panthers in full flow

Four games into the season, the Milwaukee Panthers had yet to hit their stride. A road win over Duquesne on November 19 offered glimpses of what Bart Lundy’s team could offer; Friday’s victory over Portland State showcased UWM at full flow.

The Panthers pushed the ball at every opportunity and exploited the Vikings’ poor transition defense, finishing with 33 fast break points to just eight for PSU.

The veteran backcourt duo of Themus Fulks and AJ McKee led UWM’s potent countercharge, combining for 41 points and eight assists. With 11 years of college basketball experience, Fulks and McKee provide an invaluable combination of talent and leadership for Milwaukee.

“These senior guards have good chemistry together,” Coach Lundy noted after the game. McKee expanded on his head coach’s observation, adding: “With me being a leader, I know there are times where I got to come out and get us connected. We [McKee and Fulks] both played a lot of college basketball; we know how to get to our spots and when to get to our spots, and when we get to those spots, making the right play.” 

The Vikings' offense kept pace early, only for Fulks and the Panthers to pull away after the break with a 31-9 run. UWM led by as many as 30 points and never trailed in a 91-74 triumph.

Game 3: Tommies roll

Less than 15 hours after falling to Milwaukee, Portland State returned to the court to face St. Thomas. Short rest and an opening night blowout hampered the Vikings.

The Tommies scored 53 first-half points on 8/12 shooting from beyond the arc—building an insurmountable 32-point halftime lead.

With nothing but pride to play for, the Vikings demonstrated renewed intensity in the second half. It was no match for the high-level execution of the Tommies, who easily claimed a 91-65 victory.

Ben Nau led the way with a career-best 18 points before an enthusiastic faction of UST supporters. Miles Barnstable added 11 points for the Tommies.

Game 4: Fulks and McKee round two

In a game of contrasting playing styles, Friday’s winners—Milwaukee and Wofford—battled in Saturday’s nightcap. While UWM and PSU push the pace in transition, Wofford is decidedly a half-court team. The Terriers controlled the game's flow and contained an explosive Panther offense.

UWM shot just 34% from the field in the first 20 minutes but stayed in the game thanks to 12 second-chance points on 10 offensive rebounds. 

The second stanza was just as tight. 

Panthers star guard AJ McKee picked up fouls on consecutive possessions early in the second half, putting him at four personals for the game. Coach Lundy subbed out his sixth-year senior only for Wofford to grow a one-point halftime lead into a nine-point advantage—its largest of the afternoon.

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Sensing the momentum shifting, Lundy subbed McKee into the game after less than two minutes on the bench. Once back on the floor, the veteran guard nailed a corner three, sparking a 13-3 run for the hosts.

Lundy explained his decision to play McKee with four fouls: “[Wofford] expanded the lead, so I felt like I had to put him back in. He helped us chip away and get it back to down two, so we took him back out. We were able to sustain that lead. I do trust him; he’s going to stay in there.”

McKee and backcourt mate Themus Fulks continued their strong play down the stretch. Both finished with more than 20 points for the second straight contest.

“I’m just trying to make plays,” Fulks said. “As the point guard, I have to figure out when to get guys the ball and when to score the ball. Toward the end of the game, I had it going, so I made a play.”

Neither team could pull away, each spurning opportunities at the free-throw line. While the Panthers finished a disappointing 19-33 from the charity stripe, they hit their free shots when they mattered. McKee and Fulks each converted a pair of late shots at the line as Milwaukee held out for a 76-74 win.

“I’m extremely proud of our guys,” Coach Lundy said. “We were down nine, things weren’t going well, and those guys came to the huddle and came together. They just kept grinding it out.”

Game 5: Day 3 upset

Portland State trailed by at least 30 points in their first two Cream City contests—both sizeable defeats—and an 0-3 weekend record looked likely as Wofford opened up a 14-point first-half lead.

Yet, in the final 20 minutes, the West Coast squad demonstrated a resolve it had not exhibited through five halves of basketball. The Vikings recorded 50 second-half points, taking advantage of a 3:29 Wofford scoring drought to get back in the game.

Senior forward Ian Johnson’s 21 points led the way as Portland State claimed a surprise 79-74 win.

Game 6: Interior excellence

The de facto championship game for the weekend pitted Milwaukee against border rivals St. Thomas.

The contest was a defensive struggle early on. UWM did not hit a three-pointer in the first 20 minutes but held a 32-22 halftime lead thanks to a +14 advantage on the boards and 12 second-chance points.

In the second period, the Panthers went 6-12 from beyond the arc. Several of those shots came from unlikely sources, as Jamicheal Stillwell and Aaron Franklin each hit a pair of treys. 

Franklin, who entered the game 0-7 from deep, tied a career high with 15 points.

“I’m really proud of Aaron Franklin,” Lundy said of his 6-5 guard. “He’s battled trying to find his footing this year, and that’s the Aaron Franklin we know we can get moving forward.”

Milwaukee extended its lead to a game-high 10 points with less than four minutes remaining, only for St. Thomas to make a run. The Tommies capitalized on five consecutive scoreless possessions from the Panthers, cutting the lead to one point with 17 seconds left.

The experienced UWM squad leaned on its backcourt again. Themus Fulks hit a pair of late three throws, and AJ McKee came up with a huge steal to end the UST threat. Milwaukee held on for a 69-65 win, giving Coach Lundy’s team a perfect record for the weekend.

Lundy praised his squad, saying: “We don’t have any more talented players out there at the end of the games, but we have guys who have won and have closed out a lot of games and are more connected to each other and connected to me.”

“We could’ve splintered apart,” Lundy continued, “but we came together. It’s stressful—three games in three days. I know I yelled at guys I don’t normally yell at. It was growth for our team and our program. I’m really proud of our group.”

With a four-game winning streak entering the meat of the non-conference schedule, Horizon League favorites Milwaukee is living up to the preseason hype. The rest of the conference will be wise to watch out for these plucky Panthers.