After all the adversity they faced this season, Milwaukee head coach Rob Jeter made sure to reward his seniors with one final ovation.

During the closing moments of a 57-51 first-round Horizon League tournament loss to Loyola-Chicago, the fans at U.S. Cellular Arena acknowledged the contributions of Paige Paulsen, Allan Hanson and Marcus Skinner. It was a particularly nice tribute for Skinner, who missed Senior Night with a sprained ankle.

Exemplifying the tenacity of a team that didn't give up despite losing nine of its players, a hobbling Skinner wanted to give Jeter 40 minutes against the Ramblers.

"I knew he would give us toughness around the basket, but could he play with the same explosiveness he plays with?" Jeter told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "He couldn't do that and I didn't want him out there, being half the player he has been all year. But I did want him to finish the game on the floor because he didn't have that on Senior Night."

The Panthers finished in a fourth-place tie in the Horizon standings, exactly where they were picked in the preseason poll. That doesn't tell half the story of this team, which was 3-7 when leading scorer and rebounder Torre Johnson was kicked off the team. Instead of giving up, the Panthers won nine of their next 10 to salvage the season.

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