Southern Miss
3-4,0-0Sun Belt
Milwaukee
3-4,0-0Horizon
Men's Basketball Hangs Ninety on Milwaukee in Road Win
11/25/2023 4:48:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MILWAUKEE, Wisc. – Welcome home, Donovan Ivory. The Kaukauna, Wisc. native dropped a career-high 32 points in a 90-84 win over Milwaukee (3-4, 0-0 Horizon) on Saturday afternoon. The Golden Eagles (3-4, 0-0 Sun Belt) picked up their first road win and snapped a three-game losing skid.
The game opened up with an Ivory basket that allowed the Golden Eagles to jump to an 8-0 lead in the blink of an eye. Despite the quick start, Milwaukee punched back with a 10-0 run of its own. The Panthers pushed their lead to four and then Victor Iwuakor took over.
Welcome home, kid 🤘
— Southern Miss MBB (@SouthernMissMBB) November 25, 2023
24 points from @D_ono_van pic.twitter.com/BoxsP18E6E
The graduate transfer started a 25-8 run that took Southern Miss to halftime with a 41-26 lead. Ivory – who had nearly 50 family and friends in attendance – dropped 18 points in the first half, including four three-pointers. Iwuakor added eight first-half points of the bench to tie his season high in a matter of one half.
Southern Miss enjoyed its halftime advantage and continued to pull away well into the second half. The Golden Eagle lead peaked at 23 points when Tegra Izay threw down a two-handed slam with just over 14 minutes left to play. That's then when the Panthers caught fire for a 13-3 run that made it a 13-point game and got the Klotsche Center rocking.
The Milwaukee attack pressed on as the Southern Miss lead slowly evaporated. The Golden Eagles lost their 15-point lead in a flash as Milwaukee hit three-straight three-pointers in less than 60 seconds. BJ Freeman – Milwaukee's leading scorer – made it a two-point came as he capped a 6-0 run with 1:32 to play.
With the Southern Miss faithful biting its nails, Iwuakor took an Ivory alley-oop to effectively seal the win. The Golden Eagles then hit six free throws down the stretch to ice the Panthers. Southern Miss went 16-for-20 from the free throw line days after they suffered through a 17-for-31 performance against South Dakota State.
Donovan 🤝 Victor
— Southern Miss MBB (@SouthernMissMBB) November 25, 2023
Things are getting wild in the Klotsche Center pic.twitter.com/r3vj8HvV1M
Junior guard Austin Crowley enjoyed a 25-point game and hit a season-high eight field goals. The West Point product finished with five three-pointers – tying his career high. Iwuakor finished with a season-high 12 points, while Victor hart finished with 11 points.
Izay finished with 11 rebounds to set a new career mark and added eight points after earning his second start. The Golden Eagles pulled down 35 rebounds and dished out 15 assists, including four from Crowley.
Southern Miss will head back to Hattiesburg for a couple days before heading back out on the road to face UAB on Friday, Dec. 1. Tip-off between the two longtime rivals is slated for 6:30 p.m. at Bartow Arena.
Game Notes
- Austin Crowley tied his career high in three-pointers with five
- Donovan Ivory had a season-high 32 points and made a career-best six three-pointers
- The Golden Eagles had a season-high 15 assists
- Southern Miss had eight blocks – the most under Jay Ladner
- Victor Iwuakor scored a season-high 12 points off the bench – one shy of his career high
