Another Weekend, Another Phoenix Sweep

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Photo courtesy of Green Bay Ahletics

The winning ways continued for the Green Bay Phoenix women, sweeping the Detroit Metro Area teams over the weekend, with a win over Detroit Mercy on Thursday and over Oakland on Saturday. Green Bay is now at eight straight wins. 

The much improved Titans got out to a great start over Green Bay, holding as much as a seix-point lead throughout the period. The Phoenix would finally grab a lead with 1:14 left in the 1st, as Cassie Schiltz hit a three to give Green Bay a 16-14 lead.  Detroit Mercy would tie the game on its next possession, before Bailey Butler was able to get split a trip at the free throw line to give the lead back to the Phoenix. The quarter closed with Green Bay holding a 17-16 lead.  

Jasmine Kondrakiewicz got a steal and later scored to open up the second for the Phoenix. A few minutes later Emaia O’Brien tied things back up at 19-19.  Scoring would stall over the next several minutes until Schiltz and Natalie McNeal scored on back to back possessions after the media break in the send quarter.  Green Bay would heat up to close the quarter, outscoring Detroit 19-7 over the period to go to the locker room with a 36-23 lead.  

The third quarter was a bit rocky for the Phoenix, as Green Bay only scored twice from the field, both of which came off the hand of McNeal. Kondrakiewicz chipped in 4 made free throws as well for the Phoenix offense.  Luckily for Green Bay, the defense was in top form, limiting Detroit Mercy to 11 points in the period.  

The 4th quarter proved to be a big one for Kondrakiewicz as she started the final 10 minutes by converting an old school three-point play. Callie Genke splashed a three before Kondrakiewicz scored 6 of the next 8 for Green Bay, including the basket that would earn her 1,000th career points.  The basket put the Phoenix up by 21, enough to start going into the bench.  Green Bay got the lead up to 28, until Detroit Mercy scored a few baskets late to make the score a bit more respectable, resulting in a Phoenix win of 70-47.  

Kondrakiewicz led all scorers with 17 points, and was joined in double figures by Schiltz, who finished with 16, and McNeal and Genke who each had 12.  

Things got off to a similar enough start on Saturday, as the Phoenix squared off against the Oakland Golden Grizzlies. Similar, in that Green Bay held a one-point lead after the first quarter.  However, that would be the only similarity as the circumstances of how the teams got there was significantly different.  It was Green Bay that got out to the fast start, opening up a 9-0 to begin the game, before the Golden Grizzlies clawed back to grab a 14-13 lead. McNeal ended the Oakland run, giving Green Bay the slim advantage after one.  

In typical Phoenix fashion, Green Bay had another lockdown quarter, this time it would be the second, holding the Golden Grizzlies to just one made field goal in the period and four points overall.  Green Bay, on the other hand, had the throttle wide open, dropping 20 to grab a 35-18 halftime lead.  

Oakland did rebound a bit in the third quarter, scoring 14 for the period, but were outmatch once again by Green Bay’s diverse offense.  Genke and Jenna Guyer combined for half of Green Bay’s 18-point third quarter, as the Phoenix held a 20+ point advantage once again, at 53-32.  

The Phoenix defense would once again stimey Oakland’s offense in the 4th, keeping the Golden Grizzlies to a single digit point total in the closing period, while continuing to build their lead.  Green Bay would reach its largest lead of 30 late in the fourth, coming off a Schiltz layup, and would go onto win by that margin, at 69-39. 

Genke was Saturday’s leading scorer with 22 points, a season high for her. The Horizon League’s reigning player of the Week McNeal chipped in 18 points and grabbed 8 rebounds as well, and was joined in double figures by Guyer, who came off the bench and scored 10 points. 

Green Bay is back on the road this upcoming week, with games against Wright State and Northern Kentucky on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.  Green Bay tops off against the Raiders at 6pm CT on Thursday evening.  

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