CHICAGO, Ill. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) - The No. 18/16 Green Bay (24-1, 13-0 HL) women's basketball team used a dominant first half led by the play of Julie Wojta (Mishicot, Wis.) to improve to 13-0 in league play with its 69-43 win over Loyola (11-12, 5-7 HL) Saturday at the Gentile Center in Chicago, Ill.

"We played really hard defensively in the first half and spread them out," said head coach Matt Bollant. "Our first 17 minutes really set the tone as were really tough defensively."

Throughout the first five and a half minutes of play, Green Bay was 1-for-12 shooting from the field as the Ramblers cut the Phoenix lead to five (9-4) off a Monica Albano bucket with 13:25 to play. Green Bay found its rhythm responding with a 10-0 run while holding the Ramblers scoreless for over four and a half minutes before Troy Hambric scored a layup to cut Green Bay's lead to 13 with 8:39 remaining in the first half.

"They did get some open shots early but we played really well defensively, we're a team that's going to dictate shots," Bollant said.

Hambric's bucket was the last scored by the Ramblers as Green Bay dominated the remainder of the half with a 19-0 run spanning just over four minutes. The run was sparked by a three-pointer from Adrian Ritchie (De Pere, Wis.) who scored all of her eight points in the first half. Green Bay's largest lead of the half (+32) came off a Ritchie jump shot with 2:13 remaining. Loyola reached double-figure scoring with 1:47 remaining when Abby Skube sank a jumper to make it 42-10.

Green Bay led 44-14 at the break while shooting 66 percent from three-point range, its second highest of the season throughout first-half action. Wojta was dominant in the first half leading all players with 13 points and eight rebounds throughout 18 minutes of play while Celeste Hoewisch (Hortonville, Wis.) scored all of her 10 points in the first half.

"Our team as a whole has come out more aggressive," said Wojta. "We came into this game with a lot of momentum and that's really helped me personally.

Loyola controlled the opening minutes of the second half, outscoring the Phoenix 11-4 before Hannah Quilling (Eau Claire, Wis.) drained a three from the right wing making it 53-25 in favor of Green Bay. Within the first three minutes of the half, Wojta recorded her third-consecutive double-double before finishing the game with a career-high 15 rebounds while pouring in a game-high 17 points.

The Ramblers came as close as 24 in the second half with 4:41 remaining when Albano scored three of her 13 points but Green Bay ran over the Ramblers with a 69-43 win while shooting 47 percent from three-point range and 66 percent from the charity stripe. The Phoenix scored 26 points in the paint and 23 points off Loyola's 26 turnovers. For the fourth time in five games, Lydia Bauer (Lake Zurich, Ill.) scored in double figures finishing with 13 points, going 3-for4 from three-point range.

The Phoenix will wrap up its longest league road trip of the season Saturday, Feb. 10 as it travels to Milwaukee (9-14, 6-6 HL) to battle the in-state rival Panthers at 2 p.m. Green Bay will return to the confines of the Kress Events Center Thursday, Feb. 24 to face Valparaiso at 7 p.m. The annual Teddy Bear Drive sponsored by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will also be held in conjunction with the game. All teddy bears that are donated will be distributed through Bellin Health and Prevea to area hospitals. .