UW Milwaukee Panthers going to the big dance

MILWAUKEE-When the college basketball season started, UWM was the longest of shots to the make the NCAA tournament.

In fact, many experts picked the panthers to finish last in their own conference.

Now, they're the first team from Wisconsin to punch their ticket.

The crowd at Major Goolsby's Sports Bar erupted Tuesday night when UWM beat Wright State 69-63 in the Horizon League Championship Game.

The win secured an automatic bid for UWM and capped an improbably late season run for the team and its fans.

It's the kind of story March Madness is all about.

A team that won eight games last year, a team that no one game a chance, has now secured their place in the biggest tournament in college basketball.