GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) - For the 2,028 fans that came out to the Kress Events Center Friday night to watch the No. 21 Green Bay (12-1, 1-0) women's basketball team open up Horizon League play, they more than likely had a very memorable New Year's Eve. It was a back-and-forth battle as the Phoenix beat Detroit (6-6, 0-1) 69-62 in a game that came down to the final minutes.

"As a coach, if you could win close games, you'd choose to because it's really good for your players to have to be in that situation," said head coach Matt Bollant. "When you get a close game, it's a really great chance to learn and we did a lot of really good things tonight down the stretch."

Green Bay led by as many as seven in the first half with 15:17 to play before Detroit went on an 8-0 run to take the lead by one point at 13:51. At that point neither team led by more than one point until 9:56 remaining when Britney Murphy made a lay-up, drew a foul and gave the Titans a four-point lead (21-17) after sinking a free throw.

Detroit built its largest lead of the game with 9:16 remaining in the first half when Demeisha Fambro hit a layup giving the Titans a 23-17 lead.

The Phoenix managed to knot the game at 29 with 53 seconds remaining in the first half after Kayla Tetschlag (Sheboygan, Wis.) was fouled and converted a three-point play from the charity stripe. Detroit was quick to answer and take the 31-29 lead at the break off a bucket from Lauren Allen down low.

As a team that struggled last season when trailing against its opponents, Green Bay fought back and never stopped battling.

"I think we've grown in that area as a team," said Tetschlag. "Our defense is being consistent when our offense isn't connecting. We're fighting back more and more this year knowing we're going to have a tough game every time."

Celeste Hoewisch (Hortonville, Wis.) sparked the Phoenix in the second half grabbing three of her game-high nine defensive boards throughout the first three minutes before finishing with a career-high 12 boards.

"We talked about defensive rebounding at halftime and she (Celeste) did exactly what we needed and battled against those bigger girls," said Tetschlag.

Offensively Green Bay started the half on a 12-2 run before Detroit's Dominique Dixon sank the Titans next eight points. Dixon scored 22 in the second half before finishing with a game-high and Kress Center record, 31.

"She (Dominique) made a lot of great plays for them tonight and really stepped up, she's a great player," said Bollant.

Tied at 47 with 8:03 to play, Dixon drained one of her three three-pointers from the top of the arc, giving the Titans its second lead of the half. After a Green Bay turnover, Dixon followed up her three by sinking her 26th point down low as time expired on the shot clock, giving the Titans its largest lead of the half (52-47).

With 4:37 remaining in the contest, Tetschlag tied the game for the sixth and final time when she sank one of her five free throws.

Green Bay took its final lead with 3:54 remaining when Julie Wojta (Mishicot, Wis.) found Tetschlag down low for her 1,000th-career point.

"It's an honor to be named with all of the other players like Celeste," Tetschlag said. "It's a great team to share it with."

After Detroit cut Green Bay's lead to three with 2:33 to play, the Phoenix went on a 6-0 run before Dixon hit a three-pointer with 30 seconds remaining, cutting the Phoenix lead to five. Green Bay sank four free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

"Celeste and Kayla refused to let us lose that game," Bollant said. "Those two took us on their backs and made big plays."

Hoewisch had her first career double-double grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds while pouring in 21 points whle Tetschlag also finished with a double-double scoring a season-high 19 points while pulling down 11 boards.

Green Bay finished the contest shooting 47 percent from the field and 89 percent from the free-throw line.

The Phoenix wraps up its four game homestand on Sunday, Jan. 2, hosting Wright State (8-4, 1-0 Horizon League) at the Kress Events Center at 12 p.m.  Green Bay heads to Youngstown, Ohio on Jan. 6 for its first road Horizon League contest against Youngstown State.