GREEN BAY, Wis. - The Green Bay men's basketball team wrapped up its exhibition slate with a 71-54 win over St. Norbert College Saturday night in the program's first-ever contest at the Kress Center on the UW-Green Bay campus. With the win, the Phoenix moves to 16-0 all time in preseason play under head coach Tod Kowalczyk.
Junior guard Rahmon Fletcher (Kansas City, Mo.) tallied a game-high 20 points to help the Phoenix pull away from its cross-town competition. Fletcher went 7-of-14 from the floor, including 4-of-4 from the free throw line and 2-of-4 from 3-point range in 25 minutes of play.
The Phoenix began the game with a 13-4 run and led by as many as 15 deep into the first half, but 3-point shooting brought the Green Knights back to within six (32-26) as the halftime buzzer sounded. St. Norbert made 5-of-13 treys in the opening stanza, while the Phoenix went 0-for-4 from beyond the arc.
Similar to Green Bay's first exhibition game against Minnesota Duluth, the Phoenix offense came out strong after halftime. Led by Fletcher's 12 second-half points, Green Bay opened up a 58-38 lead midway through the second period - its largest of the game - and controlled the rest of the contest.
The Phoenix was 27-of-59 from the floor on the night (46 percent), while St. Norbert was 19-of-52 (36.5 percent). Green Bay finished 6-of-13 from 3-point range compared to an 8-for-20 effort from the Green Knights.
Joining Fletcher in double figures for the Phoenix was junior guard Bryquis Perine (Milwaukee, Wis.), who added 12 on a 5-of-8 shooting night from the field. Senior forward Randy Berry (Plover, Wis.) scored eight points - all in the first half - and pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds.
Green Bay begins its regular season schedule next week at the Hispanic College Fund Classic in Kent, Ohio. The Phoenix will play four contests in a four-day span, beginning with a matchup with UAB on Friday afternoon. Green Bay then takes on Samford on Saturday, host school Kent State on Sunday and Rochester (Mich.) on Monday afternoon.
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