Jeremiah Bell scored a career-best 31 points and UWM’s men’s basketball team beat Detroit 85-60 in its first-round game in the Horizon League Tournament Friday at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The Panthers, seeded 10th, advanced to face second-seeded Valparaiso 7 p.m. Saturday in a game that will be broadcast on ESPN3.
Bell tied Joah Tucker’s school record, set against Loyola in 2005, for most points in a league tournament game. Brock Stull added 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Panthers, who led 39-25 at halftime. For the game, UWM shot 56.8 percent while holding Detroit to 34.4 percent.
“I’m proud of our guys,” said first-year UWM coach LaVall Jordan, whose team improved to 9-23. “The first half specifically, we were as locked in as we have been all year defensively.”
Bell entered Friday’s action averaging just 6.8 points per game, but the sophomore guard came off the bench to go 9-of-10 from the field and 4-of-5 from 3-point range.
“My teammates found me in the right position to succeed,” said Bell, who hadn’t scored more than 16 points in a game this season. “I owe it all to my coaches for putting me in the right position to have success.”
For more coverage, visit mkepanthers.com, the official site of UWM athletics.
