The wins keep coming for the Phoenix, as Green Bay completed another season sweep on Saturday, taking down the Detroit Mercy Titans 76-60. The victory marks Green Bay’s 16th straight, a streak spanning back all the way to December 14th when the Phoenix fell to Creighton at the Kress Center.
Green Bay won the opening tip but was unable to score on its first possession of the contest. Detroit Mercy, however did start off the upset bid scoring on its first two possessions of the game, and holding a 4-0 lead. Natalie McNeal scored the first Phoenix points on a trip to the free throw line, making both attempts. She scored six in a row for Green Bay, sandwiching layups between a bucket from Aaliyah McQueen.
Jasmine Kondrakiewicz gave Green Bay its first lead with a layup, before McNeal extended it out with her 8th points of the period. MaKayla Jackson converted on an And 1 to cut the lead back to just 1. Maddy Schreiber came off the Green Bay bench once again, and scored her first basket of the game to put the Phoenix up 12-9.
Emaia O’Brien splashed a triple to tie but Miah Meyer responded with one of her own to put the Phoenix back in control at 15-12. Immediately after the bucket, a Titans turnover led to the 1st quarter media break. Out of the timeout, Green Bay was dominant. McNeal was the catalyst for the Phoenix to go on a 13-3 run to close out the quarter, also including two buckets from Meyer and one each from Schreiber and Jenna Guyer.
Detroit Mercy opened the 2nd quarter with 2 makes to cut the lead back to single digits. Kondrakiewicz was able to stop the momentum, extending Green Bay’s lead once again to double figures. The Phoenix were able to keep the Titans at arms length, getting timely buckets anytime Detroit Mercy tried to surge back into the contest. Cassie Schiltz buried a 3 to spurn a rally from Jackson and McQueen. For their efforts though, the Titans did outscore the Phoenix by a point in the 2nd, and went to the locker room trailing Green Bay 39-27.
Detroit Mercy came out blazing hot in the 3rd, getting a couple big buckets from O’Brien and Katie Burton, cutting the lead to just 6 at 41-35. Callie Genke did make a pair of free throws to give Green Bay a bit of breathing room, but was immediately answered by Chanteese Craig making a layup.
Kondrakiewicz and Craig matched scores, with Craig’s coming from the free throw line. With 6:05 remaining in the period, that would be the last points the Titans scored, as Green Bay locked down defensively. McNeal earned a 3 point play, followed by a Genke 3. McNeal tacked on two more free throws and a layup, before a Guyer free throw and a Schreiber 3 ball put the Phoenix in firm control. All together, the 14-0 run, turned a 45-39 game into a 59-39 throttling.
McNeal picked up right where she left off in the 4th, scoring the opening basket. Schiltz added a pair of free throws to cap off an 18-0 run for the visitors, before Myonna Hooper hit a jumper to put Detroit Mercy back on the board. The Phoenix simply had to outlast the Titans the rest of the way. Thanks in part to veteran leadership for Green Bay, the team did exactly that, going make for make with Detroit Mercy the remainder of the game.
Statistically, Natalie McNeal’s 23 point, 11 rebound double-double led all scorers Saturday afternoon. Green Bay also got 11 points from Cassie Schiltz to round out double digit scorers. The Titans were led by O’Brien’s team high 22 points.
Green Bay will remain on the road for its next contest, a midweek matchup against Cleveland State. The Vikings will be coming in to that game with a lot of momentum after avenging an early season loss to Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday, ending the Mastodons 17 game win streak, and more importantly for the Phoenix, creating a tie at the top of the Horizon League regular season standings. The Vikings will also be looking to avenge its loss to Green Bay back on January 30th, a game the Phoenix won 66-52. Tipoff is set for Wednesday night at 6pm CT.
