Fans looking at the final score of Wednesday night’s game between No. 11 seed Detroit Mercy and No. 1 seed Green Bay may not realize how close this game was, until it wasn’t. The top-seeded Phoenix relied on two of their All Horizon League players to take down the Titans, winning 81-57 and punching their ticket to the semifinals on Monday.
It took nearly four minutes for the lid to come off the basket for either team, but the newly crowned Horizon League Player of the Year, Jenna Guyer, scored the opening four points of the game. Her second bucket caused Titans head coach Kiefer Haffey to call timeout, bringing on the media stoppage for the quarter a bit early. Out of the break, Kailee Davis splashed a three to get her team on the board. Guyer wasn’t done yet: on Green Bay’s ensuing possession, she drew a foul, went to the line, and made both free throws.
The first other Phoenix to score was Third Team All-Horizon League player Meghan Schultz, scoring on a paint touch. Guyer connected on another make on Green Bay’s next possession, only to be answered by Anna Lassan for Detroit Mercy. The Phoenix and Titans matched baskets through the remainder of the opening stanza, as Green Bay went to the break up 17-13 after 10 minutes.
Green Bay outscored Detroit Mercy 8-2 to start the second quarter, as Second Team All-Horizon League player Maddy Skorupski got heavily involved, making a bucket and connecting with Kamy Peppler for a pair of layups to go up by 10. Once again Haffey chose to call a timeout for another premature media stoppage. The timeout was a massive payoff for the Titans, as they went on an 8-0 run, powered by a pair of Aaliyah McQueen three pointers.
Guyer ended the Detroit Mercy run with a split trip at the free throw line, but it sparked the difference in the game. Over the final 5 minutes of the quarter, the Phoenix went on a 19-0 run, with Carley Duffney and Kristina Ouimette doing a lot of the heavy lifting over this window. In the final seconds of the half Addisen Mastriano scored on a close range jumper, but the damage was done. Green Bay took a 44-25 lead into the halftime break.
Skorupski kept Green Bay’s foot on the gas to start the third, earning and converting an and-1 to start the half. Each time Detroit Mercy was able to put together a make or two, the Phoenix would respond with a flurry of their own. This was on particular display early in the 3rd, when Jasmine Edwards sank a three to take the Green Bay lead under 20 points, only to see Peppler spark an 11-0 run that put Green Bay up by 30. Makayla Jackson ended this Phoenix run, splitting a pair of free throws with 3:45 left in the third, which led to one last gasp by Detroit Mercy. Edwards caught fire in the second half, scoring on back to back possessions as part of a 15 point second half effort.
Jackson and Edwards each scored on Detroit Mercy’s first two possessions of the fourth, cutting the lead back to 19 points, but once again Green Bay had a response. Schultz scored on back to back Phoenix possessions, and Green Bay relied on its seniors, Guyer and Duffney, to help close the game out.
In the final minute of the game, in what would be the Phoenix’s last attempt to score, Skorupski hit a step-back three that put her in the Green Bay record books. With the make, she finished the game with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, becoming just the second Green Bay women’s player to ever notch a triple-double, and the first in over 20 years since Mary Kulenkamp did it against UIC on February 28th, 2004. It was the first Phoenix triple-double by any player since Alec Brown recorded one on November 24th, 2013 against Minnesota Duluth.
Skorupski’s double figure scoring effort was one of four players to finish with ten or more. Guyer led all scorers with a career high 25 points, which helped her surpass 1,000 career points. Also in double figures for the Phoenix was Duffney with 14 and Schultz with 13. Detroit Mercy’s season ended with a pair of double figure scorers: Edwards leading the charge with 17, aided by Jackson’s 13 points.
Green Bay will await the winner of Sunday’s second round game between IU Indy and Purdue Fort Wayne in the semifinals of the Horizon League Tournament. After the game, head coach Kayla Karius was asked about the new format, but was tentative to lean one way or the other until the team experiences it this coming week. You can see the full press conference below.
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