Wofford vs UNCG
0
0 SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The afternoon began with celebration and ended with redemption. Before tipoff inside Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium, Wofford unveiled its 2024–25 Southern Conference championship banner, honoring last season’s title run. The ceremony drew loud cheers from the home crowd — energy the Terriers carried straight onto the court in an 86–76 victory over Milwaukee.
Coming off a tough road loss Monday night at George Mason, first-year head coach Kevin Giltner’s squad responded with poise and precision behind Kahmare Holmes’s career-high 24 points and Bryan Sumpter’s 21-point effort.
Hot Start Sets the Tone
Fueled by the pregame celebration, Wofford came out firing on all cylinders. The Terriers hit their first three shots from beyond the arc to seize a 15–5 lead, paced by the sharp play of Nils Machowski.
Milwaukee called an early timeout to settle in, but Wofford’s tempo and ball movement continued to create open looks.
By the 7:47 mark, Wofford led 32–22, and at the under-four media timeout, the margin had grown to 39–29.
Freshman guard Bryan Sumpter sparked the attack with 15 of his 21 points in the first half, finishing through contact and energizing the home crowd.
Owning the Glass
The Terriers controlled the boards from start to finish, out-rebounding Milwaukee 28–14 in the first half — including 10 offensive rebounds that turned missed shots into momentum.
Their presence inside set the tone physically and kept Milwaukee from finding a rhythm in transition.
Sumpter capped the half with an and-one finish that pushed the lead to 46–29, Wofford’s largest of the period.
Giltner’s group also protected the ball, committing just two turnovers while forcing nine from the Panthers.
Bench Depth and Ball Control Shine
Wofford’s bench provided an immediate boost, outscoring Milwaukee’s reserves 22–4 in the opening half.
Giltner’s rotation allowed the Terriers to sustain pace and intensity while showing clear improvement in focus and ball control following Monday’s loss at George Mason.
Milwaukee Pushes Back, but Wofford Holds Firm
Milwaukee opened the second half with renewed energy, trimming the deficit to 46–35 before Wofford responded.
Brendan Rigsbee buried a three, and Chase Watley followed with another to extend the margin to 54–36.
After trading free throws, the Terriers maintained a 56–38 lead at the under-16 media break.
The Panthers rallied again behind Josh Dixon’s layups to cut it to 56–45, but Kahmare Holmes stopped the surge with a deep three to reassert control.
Holmes and Sumpter Slam the Door
Holmes continued his hot streak, converting a layup-and-one to push the lead to 63–48. Moments later, Sumpter finished a thunderous alley-oop from Luke Flynn, igniting the arena and stretching the advantage to 67–48.
Wofford’s defensive pressure forced turnovers that quickly turned into transition points. Milwaukee briefly cut the lead to 68–58, but Holmes delivered a powerful dunk to restore momentum. After a Panther timeout at 5:56, Sumpter answered with another slam as fatigue began to show for Milwaukee.
Free Throws Seal It
In the closing minutes, Milwaukee resorted to fouling, but Wofford stayed composed at the stripe, hitting better than 80 percent of its free throws to close out the 86–76 victory.
It was a fitting finish on a day that celebrated the program’s recent success and its bright future under Giltner.
By the Numbers
- Kahmare Holmes: 24 points (career high), 7-of-12 FG, 10-of-11 FT
- Bryan Sumpter: 21 points (15 in first half), multiple dunks
- Rebounding: Wofford 48, Milwaukee 30
- Turnovers: Wofford 8, Milwaukee 15
- Bench Points: Wofford 36, Milwaukee 11
- Field Goal %: Wofford 43.8 Milwaukee 42.2
- 3-Point %: Milwaukee 38.9 Wofford 25.0
What It Means
Saturday’s victory was about response and renewal. On the day Wofford raised its 2024–25 SoCon championship banner, the Terriers looked every bit like a contender again — energetic, deep, and disciplined.
After Monday’s stumble at George Mason, Giltner’s squad regrouped with focus and fire, proving that the foundation of last year’s championship run is still firmly in place.
Wofford led wire-to-wire, delivering both a celebration of the past and a promising glimpse of what’s to come.
Post game interviews with Coach Giltner and Khamare Holmes
About the Author
