GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) - An impressive defensive performance sparked the Green Bay (3-0) women's basketball team to a 69-43 win over in-state rival Wisconsin (2-1) Thursday night. The Phoenix scored 32 points off turnovers in its largest victory over the Badgers in program history.

"That was really fun, I'm really proud of how well our players executed in the first half," said head coach Matt Bollant. "I have a lot of respect for the Badgers and how good they are defensively and I was really proud of the energy we came out with."

The Phoenix forced six turnovers in the first four minutes of the game capitalizing with eight points, six from three-point range. After the Badgers called a quick time out, Green Bay's defense kept rolling and its offense kept dialing in from long distance.

After suffering an off-season shoulder injury and undergoing surgery, Lydia Bauer (Lake Zurich, Ill.) returned to the floor at the 12:17 mark in the first half and didn't miss a step. Bauer lit up the scoreboard going 3-3 from three-point range before tying her career high 11 points in the contest.

"I was excited to get back on the floor, especially after watching my team start the season without me," Bauer said. "I just wanted to get out there and help contribute."

Celeste Hoewisch (Hortonville, Wis.) and Horizon League Player of the Week Adrian Ritchie (De Pere, Wis.) each chipped in 10 points in the first half as Green Bay was 6-7 from threes. The Phoenix went into the locker room with a 40-19 lead shooting 85.7 percent from three-point range and 51.7 percent from the field, holding the Badgers to 40 percent shooting.

"I felt today we looked as good as we've been having defensive intensity and then having a feel for what we're doing and executing on the offensive end," said Bollant.

Though Wisconsin's defense seemed to slow down Green Bay a bit in the second half, the Phoenix did not let up. "We went into the locker room with a big lead but told ourselves in the second half it's us against ourselves and we need to stay hungry," said Hoewisch who finished with a game high 22 points.

The biggest concern heading into the regular season for Green Bay was its depth but Thursday's game against Wisconsin proved otherwise. The Phoenix scored 23 points off the bench with Bauer chipping in 11 while Stephanie Sension (Hopkins, Minn.) added seven and Hannah Quilling (Eau Claire, Wis.) five.

 "You can't key on one person on this team, our opponents' scouting report on us has to be a nightmare," said Hoewisch. "All of us have the potential to be a big player in the game."

Wisconsin head coach Lisa Stone knows firsthand how tough it is to scout the Phoenix, "Tonight we got slugged in the face by a really good team. You can't just key on one player, they're all really good."

Green Bay had three players finish in double figures. Hoewisch was one point shy of tying her career high 23 while Ritchie continued to shine in her role as a starter chipping in 12 points. Meanwhile Bauer tied her career high 11 points throughout 13 minutes of play.

The Phoenix will be back on the road as it prepares for the Caribbean Challenge at Adventura Palace, Mexico Nov. 25-27. Green Bay will tip off with a matinee against Hartford at 11 a.m. Nov. 25 followed by its final Big Ten opponent of the season, Penn State on Nov. 26 at 1:30 p.m. The Phoenix will wrap up with a battle against Utah Nov. 27 at 12 p.m. before returning home to host North Dakota Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. at the Kress Events Center.

GAME NOTES

This and That...Green Bay has won its last 11 consecutive regular season home openers, starting 3-0 for its second consecutive season. Hoewisch scored a game high 22 points, leaving her 15 points shy of 1,000 for her career. With its win over Wisconsin, Green Bay has won 11 consecutive regular season games dating back to last season. The Phoenix outscored Wisconsin 14-0 in fast-break points, 32-24 in the paint and 23-11 off the bench.

Largest Leads...The Phoenix built its largest halftime lead of season (21) with a 40-19 lead at the break. Green Bay's previous high was 12 points vs. George Washington on Nov. 13. Green Bay also tied its largest lead of season (27) against Wisconsin.

Running Away... Green Bay had a 10-2 run early in the first half which was a part of a 17-6 run. With less than 10 minutes to go in the first half, the Phoenix went on a 10-0 run, stretching its lead to over 20 points.

In Your Face...Green Bay forced six of Wisconsin's 13 first half turnovers in the first four minutes of game, setting the tone early before finishing with 24 takeaways.

Defining Statistic...Due in large part to Green Bay's relentless defense, the Phoenix outscored the Badgers 32-8 off of turnovers.

Bauer Back...Early in the first half, Lydia Bauer returned to the court for the first time since suffering an offseason shoulder injury. Bauer played 13 minutes, going 4-7 from the field and a 3-4 from behind the arc, tying her career high 11 points.

Dialing Long Distance...The addition of Bauer sparked Green Bay's three-point attack. The Phoenix shot a whopping 85.7 percent from behind the arc in the first half, making six of its seven attempts.