Jan. 26, 2008

Final Stats

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Ricky Franklin scored 18 points and Milwaukee beat Cleveland State 79-71 to knock the Vikings out of first place in the Horizon League on Saturday night.

The Panthers (12-8, 7-3) have won nine out of their last 10 games and beat the Vikings for the 11th straight time.

For Milwaukee, Marcus Skinner scored 15 points, Deion James and Paige Paulsen 13 each and Deonte Roberts 10.

The Vikings (14-7, 7-2) lost their second straight league game to fall a half-game behind Butler. The Bulldogs won earlier Saturday over UIC to improve to 8-2 in league play.

Cedric Jackson scored 16 points for Cleveland State, which started the second half off with six straight points by Chris Moore to cut into Milwaukee's 11-point lead.

The Vikings tied the game about five minutes into the second half off George Tandy's basket, but the Panthers scored seven straight points to take a 43-36 lead off Paulsen's 3-pointer and never relinquished the lead.

Paulsen gave Milwaukee a 32-21 halftime lead on three free throws with 17 seconds left.