By Justin Grones (@JustinGrones)
GreenBayPhoenix.com
WICHITA, Kan. (GreenBayPhoenix.com)
- The Green Bay women's basketball team (9-2) used a team effort and an
explosive second half to defeat Wichita State (6-6) 63-42 in its final nonconference
road game of the 2012-13 season. The win featured eight Phoenix players in
double-digit minutes and 17 assists on 23 field goals.
"This
was a big win over a very athletic team in a hostile environment, and our
defense played exceptionally well," head coach Kevin Borseth said.
Green
Bay opened the game on an 8-0 run, sparked by threes from seniors Lydia Bauer (Lake Zurich, Ill.) and Adrian Ritchie (De Pere, Wis.). The
Shockers responded with a 9-2 run of their own over the next five minutes led
by Jessica Diamond, who finished the first half with a team-high nine points.
Both
teams struggled from the floor in the first half, with the Phoenix posting a
28% mark and the Shockers hitting just 25% from the field. Bauer led Green Bay
with nine first-half points on 3-of-6 shooting from long range, while fellow
senior Sarah Eichler (Grafton, Wis.)
pitched in eight.
Green
Bay shot 77.8 percent (14-18) from the field in the second half, and opened it
on a 12-5 run with a turn-around layup by redshirt senior Jenny Gilberton (Wabasha, Minn.). Gilbertson played 24 minutes,
tallying five points and five rebounds.
With
four fouls each, Ritchie and Eichler were forced to head to the bench with more
than 11 minutes remaining. Green Bay's bench, led by redshirt junior Breannah Ranger (Skokie, Ill.) didn't
miss a beat while pushing the lead to more than 20 points. The Phoenix held the
Shockers scoreless for more than seven minutes late in the half on a 13-0 run,
sparked by Ranger's nine points and team-high six rebounds.
"Jenny
and Breannah came into this game and rallied the troops, they both played
outstanding today and gave us a spark when we needed it the most. Our whole
bench had a great game today," Borseth said.
Green
Bay held the Shockers to just 29.7 percent from the floor, and allowed the home
team to score just seven points over the last 10 minutes of the second half.
Eichler
led the Phoenix with 15 points, while Bauer added 11. Ritchie and redshirt
Sophomore Megan Lukan (Barrie,
Ontario, Can.) added seven points. Lukan also posted seven assists on the day,
one shy of tying her career high.
The
win marked the eighth time this season Green Bay has held an opponent to 50
points or less, and the Phoenix continued its dominance in the paint outscoring
the Shockers 26-6 inside.
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