Expectations are always high in Green Bay with the Phoenix women’s basketball program. With 23 Horizon League titles and 16 league tournament championships entering this season, the NCAA Tournament is an expectation, not a goal. After coming up short in the conference tournament and a couple WNIT wins last season, Green Bay is headed back to the Big Dance for the first time since 2018, after taking down Cleveland State in the 2024 Barbasol Horizon League Championship Game, 64-40.
The Phoenix defense started out strong, with both teams feeling each other out early in the 1st quarter. Green Bay limited the explosive Cleveland State Vikings to just seven first-quarter points. The Phoenix really put the clamps down Cleveland State over the 4:52 of the opening quarter and went on a 7-0 run over that time to lead 12-7. Green Bay continued the defense throughout the period using a 20-12 second quarter to go into the half up 32-19. Natalie McNeal led the Phoenix with 10 and was a key piece keeping Mickayla Perdue to 1 point through the half. Colbi Maples was the lone bright point of the Vikings first half, scoring 16 points on 7-12 shooting from the floor. The Vikings as a team were held to 8-23, committed eight turnovers and were put-rebounded 24-12.
Green Bay continued the onslaught limiting the Vikings to just 10 third quarter points. Natalie McNeal scored eight of the Phoenix’s 15 third quarter points, and 14 of Green Bay’s 17 fourth quarter points to close the game out for Green Bay. McNeal finished with 32 points securing the tournament’s MVP award for the junior. Maples was held in check over the last 20 minutes, only adding 6 second half points, finishing with a team high 22 points as Green Bay locked down defensively.
McNeal and Maples were the games only double digit scorers. For the Phoenix, Cassie Schiltz and Jenna Guyer each added eight points en route to punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament. As was the case in the first half, Green Bay nearly doubled up Cleveland State in rebounds, grabbing 41 to the Vikings 22 for the game. Also of note, Green Bay assisted on 23 of its 27 made baskets, while Cleveland State was held to five helpers on 16 made shots from the floor.
As mentioned above, Green Bay goes back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018. The Phoenix await Selection Sunday for seeding, with a NET ranking of 54 and a very strong resume. Bracket experts currently project Green Bay somewhere between a 10-12 seed as the other conference tournaments wrap up.
