By: Jill Wunrow (@JillWunrow)
GreenBayPhoenix.com
CANCUN, Mexico (GreenBayPhoenix.com) - A 20-0 run by Green Bay (3-1) to close the game while holding
Missouri (4-1) without a basket since the 11:32 mark, carried the Phoenix to a
55-33 win over the Tigers in its second game of the Cancun Challenge held
Friday, Nov. 23 at the Moon Palace in Cancun, Mexico.
"Our players really got after it
especially setting the tone in the first half and I think we did a great job and
played with a lot of energy," said head coach Kevin Borseth who improves to 2-1
when leading the Phoenix against Missouri.
Senior Jenny Gilbertson (Wabasha,
Minn.) sank a career high three three pointers to lead the Phoenix with 11
points while playing a career-high 23 minutes.
"I've been doing really well in my
extra shooting workouts so it was a relief tonight to finally see them go in,"
Gilbertson said. "I was rushing my first couple of shots but once I started to
relax they started to go in."
After Missouri scored the first
bucket of the game with a three from Lianna Doty at the 18:36 mark, Sarah Eichler
(Grafton, Wis.) sparked a 15-3 run for Green Bay with a three from the left
wing. Adrian Ritchie (De Pere, Wis.) added a three the following trip down the
court as the Phoenix attacked the basket early while holding the Tigers
scoreless until its second bucket at 9:02, cutting Green Bay's lead to 15-6.
After a timeout called by Missouri,
the Tigers went on an 8-2 run, cutting Green Bay's lead to 17-11 with 4:30 to
play. Eichler drained her second three from the left corner to boost the
Phoenix lead to nine (20-11) at the final media timeout of the half.
Morgan Eye's second three for
Missouri cut Green Bay's lead to four (20-16) with 44 seconds to play in the
first half. After a free throw by Megan Lukan (Barrie, Ontario), a last second
foul by the Phoenix gave Missouri two free throw attempts with 0.4 seconds on the
clock. The Tigers one made free throw left Green Bay with a 21-17 half time
lead.
Eichler and Ritchie each had two
three pointers to lead the Phoenix with eight points each at the break while
Breannah Ranger (Skokie, Ill.) led Green Bay with five rebounds, all on the defensive
end of the court. As a team, the Phoenix shot 20 percent from the field, 22
percent from three-point range and 55 percent from the free throw line.
Green Bay's defense forced Missouri
14 turnovers in the first half of play while scoring 11 points off the miscues.
Early in the second half (18:12),
Eichler picked up her third foul while Missouri cut Green Bay's lead to 23-21
off a bucket down low from Liz Smith. Green Bay scored the next six points to
open up a 29-21 lead while its defense continued to play tough, forcing the
Tigers to turn the ball over three times in the opening minutes.
Gilberton's three pointer from the
right wing boosted the Phoenix lead to 32-23 at the 15:14 mark. Missouri
responded with the next five points before Lydia Bauer (Lake Zurich, Ill.) drained
her lone three of the contest to make it a seven-point game (35-28) with 13:54
to play.
Ritchie picked up her fourth foul
with 12:19 to play and 40 seconds later Eye's third three of the game, cut the
Phoenix lead to 35-33 with 11:32 to play. Green Bay answered with three
consecutive three pointers, two from Gilbertson, to boost its lead to 44-33,
forcing the Tigers to call timeout with 9:07 to play.
Eye's three with 11:32 remaining was
the Tigers final bucket of the game as Green Bay outrebounded Missouri 17-9 down
the stretch while Missouri shot 0-for-17 from the field and 0-for-11 from three
point range throughout the span.
Eichler added 10 points and a
team-high six rebounds for the Phoenix while Bauer chipped in nine points and
six boards. Ranger and Stephanie Sension (Hopkins, Minn.) each finished with
five rebounds in the Green Bay win.
As a team, the Phoenix finished the
game shooting 26 percent from the field, 30 percent from three-point range and
71 percent from the free throw line.
NEXT UP: Green
Bay wraps up competition in the Cancun Challenge facing Richmond (3-3)
Saturday, Nov. 24 at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game can be heard on radio dial 1400 AM
in the Green Bay area. Green Bay returns to the confines of the Kress Events
Center Friday, Nov. 30 as it hosts University of Indianapolis at 7 p.m.
###
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