The Milwaukee Panthers (17-11) will wrap up the regular season when they take on the Youngstown State Penguins (10-18) at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. The game gets underway at 8:00 pm ET on Monday, Feb. 22 and will air on ES3.
The Panthers come into this game hoping to repeat their last performance, thoroughly outplaying Cleveland State 88-54 on Saturday. Matt Tiby was the team’s leading scorer with 16 points on 4-for-6 shooting. The Penguins, meanwhile, are coming off a 107-90 loss at the hands of Green Bay on Saturday. Jordan Andrews stood out for Youngstown State, accounting for 19 points, two rebounds, and one assist.
The Panthers could have their way today, as their high-octane offense faces off against one of the nation’s worst defenses. They currently rank 27th in offensive efficiency while Youngstown State ranks 325th in defensive efficiency. Put-back points also figure to be rare for the Penguins. They rank 334th in the nation in offensive rebounding (OR% of 23.6%), while the Panthers are 27th-best in the nation on the defensive glass (DR% of 74.8%).
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Panthers winning the first matchup 81-65. Akeem Springs had a stellar game with 33 points, seven rebounds, one steal, and four three-pointers.
The Panthers have gone 17-11 Straight Up (SU) and 13-13-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have only managed a record of 3-7 ATS. The Panthers have no trouble scoring as they rank 45th in the nation in offense with 78.9 points per game. The Panthers are an impressive three-point shooting team with 9.0 made per game, one of the highest marks in Division I. Milwaukee has the 12th-most assists in Division I, averaging 17.2 per game. Milwaukee’s defense has fallen apart in the past 10 games. Its average points allowed per game rose to 87.0 during that span, compared to its 72.7 season average. Not making mistakes with the ball is a staple of the Milwaukee offense, which averages just 11.2 turnovers per game.
Across the court, the Penguins have records of 11-13 ATS and 10-18 SU. The Youngstown State defense has allowed an average of 76.6 points per game during the last 10 games, lower than their season average of 83.6.
Milwaukee beat Youngstown State in their most recent meeting this season, taking the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over their most recent meetings. However, with a 6-3-1 record, Milwaukee has the advantage ATS. Milwaukee held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers one time in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, Youngstown State never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – UW-Mil, ATS Winner – UW-Mil
Notes
Milwaukee averages 78.9 points per game (ranked 45th). Youngstown State, on the other hand, allows 83.6 points per game (ranked 260th).
Milwaukee scores 83.5 points per home game (ranked 32nd). Youngstown State ranks a poor 260th in points allowed on the road, allowing 88.2 points.
Milwaukee won its last game by a 34-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Youngstown State is 2-8. Milwaukee is 4-0 in blowouts this season.
The Youngstown State Penguins average 75.2 possessions per game and 1.013 points per possession. The Milwaukee Panthers earn fewer possessions with 69.1, but they score more points with 1.143.
Milwaukee has an average effective field goal percentage of 53.9%. Youngstown State is an underachieving 2-11 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Milwaukee Panthers attempt 25.0 three point field goals per game and the Youngstown State Penguins attempt 22.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, Milwaukee has a 13-10 record and Youngstown State has an 8-11 record.
The 10th-ranked team in the category, Milwaukee has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.54 this season. Youngstown State ranks 82nd with an A/TO of 1.22.
Youngstown State has forced an average turnover percentage of 17.5% this season. Milwaukee is an even 6-6 when its TO% is 17.5% or higher.
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