Dec 11, 2002

Box Score

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Dylan Page scored 25 points and Ronnie Jones added 11 Wednesday night, as Wisconsin-Milwaukee defeated Valparaiso 75-61.

The Panthers (6-2), with five consecutive wins, are off to their best start since the 1992-93 season when they won their first eight games.

Valparaiso (2-4), which lost its third straight game, was led by Raitis Grafs with 15 points.

The Panthers won even though Clay Tucker, their top scorer with a 17-point average, was hampered by back spasms and failed to score in 16 minutes in the first half. He did not play in the final 20 minutes.

Milwaukee scored the first seven points of the second half on baskets by Page and Nate Mielke and a 3-pointer by Jose Winston to lead 40-34.

The Crusaders cut the lead to 42-41 on a 3-pointer by Greg Tonagel, but the Panthers reeled off 11 straight points, eight by Page, to go ahead 53-41 with 11:30 left to play.

Miguel Ali Berdiel made a lay-up as time expired to give the Crusaders a 34-33 halftime lead. The score was tied six times in the first half in a closely fought contest in which both teams led by small margins.

Dan Weisse nailed 3-pointer with 49 seconds left to put Milwaukee up 33-32 but Valparaiso took the lead back at the buzzer on Berdiel's basket.