It may not have been a pretty win, but it was dominant nevertheless. Last year’s regular season finale between Green Bay and Purdue Fort Wayne lived up to all expectations, as the game went to overtime and was ultimately won by the Phoenix, clinching the 2025 Horizon League regular season title. This year, things were a bit different. Green Bay has been dominant in the conference season, and the Mastodons, while very talented, have stumbled a bit since last season. Still, the game garnered plenty of attention from those within the league, and outside of it, as the Phoenix outdueled the Mastodons on Wednesday night, winning 69 to 57.
By all accounts, the game started in relatively normal fashion for the Phoenix, they won the tip, and despite both teams coming up empty on their opening possessions, got on the scoreboard by getting the ball into the paint, with a couple post touches by Meghan Schultz that led to points, and then a pair of made threes by Gracie Grzesk and Jenna Guyer. Kamy Peppler was dazzling with her ball handling and finishing ability at the rim, helping Green Bay get out to a fast 15 to 5 lead that prompted a Mastodons timeout. Rylee Bess was able to get a made three out of the media stoppage and hit a free throw a little later in the first, but it was Green Bay who held the advantage after the first ten minutes of play, leading 21 to 12.
The Mastodons made a bit of a run to start the second, tightening the game to a 23 to 20 score, but Green Bay responded with a 6 to 0 run of their own, followed by a Kristina Ouimette triple after Jordan Reid hit a jumper to stop the run. Grzesk then blocked a Mastodons shot and got back on offense to splash a three of her own, as the Phoenix continued building the advantage. Green Bay got on the board one more time, as Skorupski went coast to coast on a layup. Alana Nelson would go to the line as halftime approached, splitting the trip and giving the Phoenix one more shot in the half, but Peppler couldn’t get a layup to go at the buzzer, sending Green Bay to the locker room with a 43 to 29 lead.
Purdue Fort Wayne got off to a quicker start in the third quarter, with Bess and Nelson each hitting a three in the early going of the period. Green Bay managed to keep pace though, as it was Peppler getting an offensive rebound and scoring herself that prompted another Mastodons timeout near the halfway point of the quarter. The teams traded a couple baskets until Green Bay really opened things up with back-to-back threes, this time Ouimette and Guyer hitting from deep. The Phoenix lead had ballooned up to 21 points, which would be the largest lead Green Bay would hold. A split trip at the free throw line for PFW closed scoring for the third, with Green Bay in front 63 to 43.
Down but not out, the Mastodons amped up the pressure defensively, and despite an early press break leading to a bucket, the Phoenix struggled in the Purdue Fort Wayne defense, allowing the Mastodons to crawl back into the contest by forcing turnovers and empty possessions. The Green Bay advantage dwindled to as low as 9 points, which prompted a timeout from Kayla Karius. Making matters worse was an injury to Schultz, who would leave the bench area briefly, before returning to the bench, but not the game. Grzesk finally got the lid off the basket for Green Bay, hitting a mid-range jumper that was much needed, and brought the Phoenix faithful to life inside the Kress. Both teams came up empty on their next couple of attempts, then following a Peppler steal, Green Bay would be able to run over a minute and a half of game time thanks to an incredible effort on the offensive glass. The Mastodons were forced to foul, and Guyer would go to the line and sink both with 1:14 left in the game, giving Green Bay a 69 to 56 advantage. Nelson tallied the final point of the game from the free throw line, missing the first but hitting the second, in the waning seconds of the contest.
Three players finished the game in double figures for the Phoenix. Guyer led all scorers with 17 points, aided by 12 from Schultz, and 10 from Grzesk. Peppler and Ouimette each tallied nine as well. Bess was the lone Mastodon in double figures, with exactly 10 points. In typical Green Bay fashion, the Phoenix held Purdue Fort Wayne’s leading scorer, Nelson, under her per-game average, as she finished with nine points.
Karius and Maddy Skorupski spoke to the media after the game, with a few notable details. There was not an injury update on Schultz, who took plenty of contact throughout the game, before leaving in the fourth. However, the majority of the press conference focused on the adjustment of the newcomers to Green Bay basketball, highlighting both Skorupski from the transfer portal, and true freshman Ouimette. You can see the full press conference in the video below.
Next up for Green Bay, they will stay in state for a road game against the Milwaukee Panthers on Saturday afternoon. That game is slated for a 1:00 PM CT tipoff from the Klotsche Center. Former Panther, now Phoenix, Kamy Peppler will be on milestone watch, as she is now six points away from 1,000 for her career.
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