By: Jill Wunrow
GreenBayPhoenix.com

GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) - For the second time in as many seasons, the No. 10/9 Green Bay (20-0, 10-0 HL) women's basketball team sold out the Kress Events Center with 4,018 fans in attendance to watch the Phoenix beat its in-state rival Milwaukee (6-15, 2-8 HL) 85-39 Saturday.

"I know a lot of people gave a lot of money to build the Kress Center, along with our administration and the hard work they put in to make this happen, I have to imagine this is what they envisioned to have a sell out like this against our rival," said fifth year head coach Matt Bollant. "To have so many people excited about women's college basketball in the community is amazing and I hope they really enjoyed tonight."

Including postseason play, the win was Green Bay's 27th consecutive victory on its home court, tying the Kress Events Center record. The team's seven blocks also tied a Kress record and its win marks the 13th consecutive 20-win season for the Phoenix.

"I'm just really pleased and proud of our team, we can keep getting better," Bollant said of his team's performance. "We have been much better defensively the past few games and I thought we had a great week of practice. This team is just so hungry to want to get better."

For the fourth time this season and second time against a Horizon League opponent, five players scored in double figures for the Phoenix with Sarah Eichler (Grafton, Wis.) and reigning Horizon League Player of the Week Julie Wojta (Francis Creek, Wis.) leading the way with 16 points each. For the second time in four games, senior Hannah Quilling (Eau Claire, Wis.) scored in double figures as she added 12 while Adrian Ritchie (De Pere, Wis.) and Lydia Bauer (Lake Zurich, Ill.) each chipped in 10.

"They are a good team. We just talk about their culture and they're just a team that refuses to lose," said Milwaukee head coach Sandy Botham who is in her 16th season leading the Panthers. "They just play every possession and we have a team that hasn't quite figured out the importance of that yet."

Milwaukee led 5-2 in the early going before Wojta scored Green Bay's next five points, giving the Phoenix the 7-5 advantage. The Panthers tied it up 7-7 with a jumper from Sami Tucker before Bauer answered with a three from the corner to give the Phoenix the 10-7 lead for good.

Wojta scored nine of Green Bay's first 12 points of the game as the Phoenix built a 20-9 lead following another three from Bauer with 12:22 to play in the opening half.

With 9:19 remaining in the half, Stephanie Sension (Hopkins, Minn.) charged the boards for a rebound off a missed shot, scored the bucket, drew the foul, chest bumped Eichler, and then converted the three-point play with a free throw, drawing an eruption of noise from the 4,018 in attendance.

Eichler sank one of her team high three three pointers with 3:03 to play in the first half, giving the Phoenix the 37-20 advantage. The Phoenix closed the half on 17-2 run, capped off with an NBA three from Ritchie at the buzzer, followed by a somersault, giving the Phoenix the 48-22 lead at the break.

In the final 2:41 of the opening half, Wojta grabbed all four of her first half steals, scored two points, dished out one assist and grabbed one rebound. Approximately 250 fans from Wojta's hometown of Francis Creek were in attendance to watch the senior's solid performance.

Wojta scored 14 in the first half while grabbing five rebounds, dishing out four assists and four steals in 17 minutes of play. Bauer added 10 points and four rebounds.

"The end of the first half has been our best time of basketball," Bollant said. "I'm not sure if the other team gets a little tired or what it is but we have been sensational at the end of the first half."

Green Bay's run carried over into the second half of play as the Phoenix opened with consecutive three pointers from Eichler, extending its run to 26-2, before Angela Rodriguez sank one of her game-high four three pointers with 16:31 to play. Quilling sank a jumper before Rodriguez added consecutive threes of her own, coming with 28 of the Phoenix with 13:57 to play.

Sension answered by sparking a 16-2 run with two of her nine points. Throughout the 5-minute run, six different players scored for the Phoenix. Sension finished the game tying her career-high seven rebounds in 17 minutes of play. Rodriguez led the Panthers with 12 points while Sami Tucker grabbed a team-high six rebounds.

In the final 7:58 of the game the Panthers scored six points, four from the free throw line, as Green Bay's defense forced Milwaukee a season-high 31 turnovers in the contest. The Phoenix scored 44 points of the Panthers miscues while handing them their biggest defeat (46 points) of the season and Green Bay's largest margin of victory.

In the season series against its in-state rival, Green Bay has outscored Milwaukee 173-92 while forcing 58 turnovers.

ON DECK... Green Bay continues its three-game homestand Thrusday, Feb. 9 as it hosts Detroit (12-11, 8-3 HL) at 7 p.m. at the Kress Events Center. The Phoenix will close the stretch with Wright State (15-8, 8-3 HL) Saturday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m.

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