LAKELAND, Fla. (Dec. 18, 2013) â€" Milligan scored 58 points in the second half against Southeastern University Wednesday night but ultimately fell to the Fire, 96-89.
 
Milligan, which lost back-to-back games for the first time this season, fell to 8-4 (3-2 AAC). Southeastern improved to 9-2 after starting the season 6-0.
 
Buffalo guard Cartree Pettis led all scorers with 26, including 19 in the second half. The sophomore was 11-of-15 from the floor in the loss and 8-of-11 in the second half.
 
Southeastern started off strong, grabbing its largest lead of the game (12) midway through the first half. Jordan Talley, who managed nine points in the opening period, was one of nine members of the Fire to score a field goal in the first half.
 
By the midway point of the second half, Milligan had cut the deficit down to three, but the Buffaloes would get no closer. Milligan scored 24 points in the closing six minutes of gameplay, but Southeastern had every answer, scoring 26 of its own during the final stretch.
 
Pettis added six rebounds, five assists, and a pair of steals to his game-high 26 points. Morgan McLeod and Mike Woods, Jr. scored 11 apiece.
 
A total of 10 members of the Fire made it into the scoring, six of which entered double figures. Timothy Mitchell led Southeastern with 17 points and eight rebounds.
 
Milligan returns to the court Saturday for an exhibition with Appalachian State University. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Boone, N.C.