In some places, conference titles are the goal. In Green Bay, they are the expectation. Before the season, I wrote a very similar message in our season preview piece. Well, four and a half months later, another box was checked for the Phoenix on Saturday, as Green Bay clinched the Horizon League regular season title with an overtime win over Purdue Fort Wayne by a score of 68-63.
Green Bay got off to a slow start after having the week off since its last game, a 68-45 beatdown of Milwaukee. The Mastodons had played twice since the Phoenix were last in action, and set the early pace of the contest. Potential Horizon League Player of the Year, Lauren Ross, sank a three-pointer to open scoring, part of a 7-0 run before Green Bay even got on the board. Amelia Bromenschenkel also got off to a red hot start as well, hitting a triple of her own, as well as a layup as Purdue Fort Wayne expanded the early lead up to a 12-2 advantage. As they have all year though, the Phoenix slowly but surely battled back, as Natalie McNeal added to her Player of the Year candidacy, scoring 7 points in the opening quarter to lead Green Bay back into the game. Green Bay allowed just one more Mastodon score in the opening quarter, as the Phoenix closed the period on a 13-2 run to grab the lead back on a Bailey Butler layup at the buzzer to end the opening stanza with a 15-14 lead.
Quarter 2 was a seesaw battle, starting with an Audra Emmerson put Purdue Fort Wayne back on top with a deep ball. Jasmine Kondrakiewicz immediately responded to tie the game by making a layup. McNeal and Ross took turns scoring over the next couple minutes with the lead changing with nearly every basket. Bromenschenkal and Kondrakiewicz followed a similar path in the closing minutes of the half, aided by baskets by McNeal for Green Bay and Jordan Reid for Purdue Fort Wayne. It would be the Phoenix with the last laugh in the half, as Kondrakiewicz hit a layup to close scoring for the period, with the two teams deadlocked for the quarter. Green Bay would head to the locker room with a 30-29 lead.
Much like the previous quarter, scoring started with a three from Emmerson as Purdue Fort Wayne took the lead back from Green Bay. McNeal kept her scoring efforts going tying the game and grabbing the lead back for the Phoenix with back to back scores. Jazzlyn Linbo tied the game back up on the Mastodons next possession, and grabbed the lead back on a trey from Sydney Freeman. While the Phoenix struggled from deep all game long, Maddy Schreiber was able to hit Green Bay’s first three-pointer of the game to tie things up once again at 37-37. The remainder of the third was dominated by the Mastodons, as Purdue Fort Wayne would ratchet up the defensive pressure and ramp up the scoring, closing the quarter on an 11–6 run, grabbing a 48-43 lead with just 10 minutes to play.
Linbo started the fourth with a bucket, extending the Mastodons lead up to 7 points. Green Bay battled back, with McNeal scoring on back to back possessions, chipping the lead away. Jenna Guyer added a bucket as well to trim the lead back to just 1 point. Bromenschenkel broke up the Phoenix run by sinking a pair of free throws to give Purdue Fort Wayne the slightest of breathing room. Callie Genke answered the free throws with a layup to shrink the Mastodons lead back to just 1 once again. A pair of Reid free throws and a Tia Morgan put Purdue Fort Wayne back in control with a 57-51 lead with just 4:38 left in regulation.
The teams remained scoreless for the next couple minutes until McNeal was able to lead another Phoenix charge. She started with a pair of made free throws, followed by back to back made mid range jumpers, the Phoenix were able to tie the game back up with 0:33 left in regulation. The Mastodons angled to hold the ball for as much of the final seconds before Freeman lost control of her dribble while driving the lane with 0:09 left. Green Bay turned to McNeal to try to win the game in regulation, calling a timeout and drawing up a mid range jumper for her. McNeal would miss the shot, falling into the hands of Reid. Purdue Fort Wayne called a timeout to advance the ball, giving Reid the final shot with 0:02 left. Reid’s shot fell short as well, leading to overtime with the #1 seed on the line.
Green Bay won the opening tip of overtime and hit its only other made three of the game, coming off the hand of Cassie Schiltz to put the Phoenix in front 60-57. Purdue Fort Wayne fought valiantly, getting a pair of free throws from Bromenschenkel, which unfortunately for the Mastodons, would be as close as they got in the extra period. The Phoenix got buckets from Butler and Kondrakiewicz, to extend the lead. Reid would hit a pair of made jumpers to cut into the lead, but it would be Schiltz icing the game with a pair of free throws with 0:13 left to close the game out.
McNeal led all scorers, dropping 27 points to lead the Phoenix past the Mastodons. She also corralled 13 rebounds to earn another double-double to her impressive career. Kondrakiewicz also finished in double figures with an even 10 points in the win. For Purdue Fort Wayne, Bromenschenkel led the way with 18 points, aided by 13 from Reid, and 10 from Ross.
As mentioned, the win gives Green Bay the regular season conference title, and the #1 seed in the Horizon League tournament. The Phoenix will await the lowest remaining seed from Tuesday’s games opening round games to see who they play on Thursday evening at the Kress Center. Tipoff for that game will be slated for 7 PM CT.
