Entering their final game of the John Thompson Foundation Classic on Sunday night, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers basketball team had one win and one loss under its belt and were optimistic about its match against the bigger University of Alabama-Birmingham team.

Unfortunately for them, optimism doesn’t always translate into victories, as UAB soundly defeated UWM 75-60.

The Blazers (2-1) were led by forward Wen Mukubu, who finished with 19 points on 8-12 shooting, and connected on all three attempts from beyond the arc.

The Panthers (1-2) had two players reach double figures in scoring, with Avery Smith putting up a collegiate high 21 points in 23 minutes of play. Allan Hanson chipped in 12, knocking down four three-pointers.

Smith single-handedly reeled off 10 straight points for the Panthers before fouling out with just under a minute to go.

“I just wanted to stay aggressive, and play smart,” Smith said. “I know in order to be a leader, it’s important to play hard and try to come back to win the game.”

For a second consecutive night, UWM struggled to find their offense as they shot just 32 percent from the field. As a result they looked to the bench for help from freshman Ryan Thornton, a threat from deep, and big man Sam Mauldin, who helped to contain UAB’s sizable advantage in the post.

The bigger, longer bodies UAB put on the floor overmatched the Panthers down low. The Blazers scored at will in the paint early and often, controlling the boards throughout. Simply put, they were the better team.

Milwaukee coach Rob Jeter felt as much.

“Well, with three games in three days, it’s which team could come out of it. Tonight, UAB was that team,” he said.

Overall the Panthers were able to take some lessons from the weekend-long, round-robin tournament. They did some things well, and like most teams there are areas of concern that need to be addressed.

Hanson remains upbeat after the weekend’s events.

“I take more of a positive from the weekend, as a whole. Every team has their bumps and bruises and this will only make us better,” he said.

Jeter echoed Hanson’s feelings and said it’s important to remember that it’s a process, and that it will take some time for this young team to mature.

“I know we’re going to get better,” he said.

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