Rebounding Dominance Lifts Milwaukee Past NKU

In a high-energy Horizon League showdown, Northern Kentucky came out aggressive, setting the tempo early with sharp shooting and physical play. Milwaukee, however, countered with a relentless inside game and never-ending second-chance opportunities. Both teams traded runs, defensive stands, and highlight plays, making for a contest filled with momentum swings and hard-fought possessions. With standout performances on both sides of the ball, the game offered a thrilling display of Horizon League basketball for the first 20-plus minutes, until Milwaukee took over in the second half and never looked back.

First Half Summary:

• Score: Milwaukee 42 – Northern Kentucky 35
• Northern Kentucky started with intensity, taking an early lead behind Trey Robinson’s drives and Josh Dilling’s perimeter shooting. In the radio postgame interview Coach Darren Horn praised the start, "Our guys were really ready to play to start, did a great job coming out with energy and effort early on."
• Rollercoaster first half: Northern Kentucky’s largest lead was 26-15, an 11-point advantage achieved midway through the first half following a layup by Dan Gherezgher.
• Milwaukee responded with a 27-9 scoring run to close out the half. NKU’s shooting cooled, hitting just 4 of 14 (28.6%) from the field and 1 of 6 from three-point range (16.7%) as Milwaukee’s defensive pressure intensified. Horn admitted, "A really bad stretch at the end of the half really hurt us."
• Milwaukee's dominance on the glass (15 second-chance points) and points in the paint (24) were pivotal, fueled by Jamichael Stillwell’s rebounding.

Second Half Summary:

• Score: Milwaukee 50 – Northern Kentucky 35
• The half opened with a three-pointer from Themus Fulks, extending Milwaukee’s momentum. Northern Kentucky pulled within four at 48-44 after Keeyan Itejere’s dunk, but Milwaukee answered with a crushing 12-2 run. Horn remarked, "We had a transition basket where Trey Robinson missed a dead-point layup, and they go down on the other end and get a lob dunk. Just too many plays like that."
• Jamichael Stillwell was relentless, grabbing 13 rebounds (9 offensive). Horn credited, "Stillwell’s a terrific player, literally one of the best offensive rebounders in the country."
• Northern Kentucky struggled from three-point range (2 of 12 in the second half) and failed to capitalize on defensive stops.

Key Players:

Milwaukee:

• Jamichael Stillwell: 18 points, 13 rebounds (9 offensive). Horn: "He’s the best offensive rebounder in the league."
• Erik Pratt: 15 points, multiple second-chance scores.
• Danilo Jovanovich: 12 points (career-high) while coming off the bench.
• Kentrell Pullian: 11 points, 3 assists.

Northern Kentucky:

• Trey Robinson: 21 points (7-14 FG), 8 rebounds. Horn: "Trey’s getting wherever he wants but just not finishing at the rate he’s capable of."
• Sam Vinson: 12 points (4-7 FG), 1 rebound, 0 assists.
• Josh Dilling: 8 points, all in the first half. Horn: "They took him out of rhythm in the second half."
• Dan Gherezgher: 8 points (3-10 FG), 4 assists, 2 TO. Back-to-back quiet games for Dan after his 22, 26 and 14 point game stretch.

Overall Summary and Team Comparison:

Milwaukee’s 92-70 win was defined by superior shooting, rebounding, and crucial bench contributions. Coach Horn praised the team’s ball security against pressure but lamented their struggles on the glass, stating, "Giving up that many offensive rebounds hurt us." Jamichael Stillwell’s double-double and Milwaukee’s physical play were decisive, while Northern Kentucky’s inconsistent finishing and rebounding struggles sealed their defeat.

Milwaukee improves to 18-9 (11-5 Horizon), while Northern Kentucky falls to 12-15 (7-9 Horizon).

Winning the Glass

Milwaukee dominated this game after the first 10 minutes by controlling the glass. The Panthers finished the game with an alarming 29 second chance points. For most of the first half, NKU would play solid defense, but once that shot got on the rim all of the Norse's problems got exposed. A large portion of the offensive rebounds by Milwaukee were relatively easy for them and almost to a man they played bigger around the rim.

I went back and watched all the possessions where Milwaukee got an offensive rebound and I counted seven possessions that NKU played legitimately good defense or forced a tough shot at the end of the clock, but still failed to get the defensive rebound. They were capable of competing in this game in every area except rebounding.

Itejere and Wells combined for 43 minutes and just 5 rebounds. Northern Kentucky had the ability to defend Milwaukee, but the biggest fear going into both matchups versus Milwaukee this year got exposed.

Tournament Picture

With the Norse wrapping up the Wisconsin trip going 1-1, we get a very clear picture of the upcoming Horizon League Tournament. NKU has less than a 1% chance to get the number 5 seed, which would grant them a first round bye where they would play on the road for the quarterfinal game like they did last year vs Wright State. With those odds, you can throw that option out. The most likely outcome is that NKU hosts a first round game on Tuesday March 4th against Detroit Mercy (48% chance) or IU Indy (41% chance). NKU has a slight 11% chance that they will host Green Bay in the first round. Below is a link to all the possible odds for tournament seeding and where I found these numbers:

Northern Kentucky Norse Basketball Standings

The Northern Kentucky standings table presents the probabilities of the Norse winning different finishing spots.

Playoff Status

NKU will stay on the road as they head to Wright State on Friday 2/21 at 7 pm in another Horizon League game that has major tournament seeding implications!