By: Jill Wunrow
GreenBayPhoenix.com

CHICAGO, Ill. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) - The No. 11/11 Green Bay (26-1, 16-1 HL) women's basketball team tipped off its final road trip of the regular season with an 85-56 win over Loyola (13-15, 7-9 HL) Thursday at the Gentile Arena in Chicago, Ill. Four players scored in double figures for the regular season Horizon League champs with senior Julie Wojta (Francis Creek, Wis.) leading the way with a game-high 24 points.

Loyola took a one-point lead, with a three from Monica Albano before Wojta answered with a three to take a two-point advantage (9-7) at the 16:51 mark. Neither team led by more than three points until Sarah Eichler (Grafton, Wis.) sank a fastbreak layup to give the Phoenix the 16-11 advantage with 14:22 to play in the first half.

With 12:36 to play in the first half, Albano sank her second three of the half to cut the Phoenix lead to four (18-14).

Green Bay went on an 11-3 run, culminating with a three from Stephanie Sension (Hopkins, Minn.) in the right corner, boosting the Phoenix lead to 23-15 with 11:40 to play in the first half. The Ramblers sank consecutive three pointers to make it a two-point game (23-21) at the 10:20 mark.

Six consecutive points and an assist from Wojta widened the gap with the Ramblers, making it 29-21 with 8:35 to play in the first half. Wojta's points were part of an 11-0 run by the Phoenix as it held Loyola scoreless for over four minutes before Albano hit a jumper, making it 34-23 with 5:46 remaining in the opening half.

With 1:09 to play, Green Bay's Buzz defense forced a Loyola shot clock violation, and allowed the Ramblers just six points in the final 9:40 of the half.

Green Bay led 39-27 at the break, shooting 42 percent (12-for-28) from the field and 83 percent (10-for-12) from the free throw line with Wojta leading all players with 11 points and six rebounds. Albano led the Ramblers with 10 points, two from three-point range, in the first half of play.

"We didn't start the game really good defensively, which was disappointing, but the last ten minutes of the first half we played really aggressive and that carried over into the start of the second half, where we were really good," said head coach Matt Bollant. "I'm really proud of our team, the way Julie carried us, they way Megan guarded their point guard, we were the most aggressive team."

The Phoenix opened the second half with a fast start on a 9-2 run which included four points from Wojta and a three pointer from Megan Lukan (Barrie, Ontario) from the right wing, boosting Green Bay's lead to 46-27 at the 18:24 mark.

Senior Hannah Quilling (Eau Claire, Wis.) opened a 13-0 run for the Phoenix with a bucket down low at the 10:26 mark. In a span of 45 seconds throughout the run, Wojta had a steal in Green Bay's Buzz defense, before dishing out an assist on the opposite end to Lydia Bauer (Lake Zurich, Ill.) for a 65-43 cushion. Wojta later converted a Loyola turnover to her second three of the game after Ritchie found her on the right wing.

The Phoenix built its lead to as many as 30 (79-49) with a layup from Sension with 3:56 to play. The junior forward finished the game with 14 points in 16 minutes of play.

"I thought Stephanie was great for us with her quick scoring," Bollant said. "I'm really proud of the way she stepped up and made plays for us."

Green Bay's defense forced Loyola to turn the ball over 18 times in the second half and a total of 28 times throughout the game while scoring 31 points off the Ramblers miscues.

"We didn't start the game great defensively but we finished well on that end of the court," Bollant said of his team's defensive performance.

In addition to Wojta's game-high 24 points and Sension's 14, Bauer and Adrian Ritchie (De Pere, Wis.) added 10 points each. For the second consecutive game, Green Bay shot over 60 percent in the second half going 19-of-31 from the field. The Phoenix finished the contest shooting 52 percent (31-59) from the field and 70 percent (14-20) from the free throw line.

WOJTA RECORD BOOK ADDITIONS: With her nine field goals and 24 points in the game, Wojta moves into eighth on Green Bay's individual season record list with 206 field goals made and sixth with 528 points on the season.

UP NEXT: The Phoenix will play its final regular season game Saturday, Mar. 3 at UIC (16-11, 9-7 HL). Green Bay tips off Horizon League Championship competition Wednesday, Mar. 7 at 7 p.m. at the Kress Events Center with a quarterfinal game.

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Ticket packages for the women's basketball Horizon League championship are currently on sale with the Green Bay ticket office. For more information or to order tickets, please click here. Green Bay will host its opponent in the quarterfinal round Wednesday, Mar. 7 at 7 p.m. at the Kress Events Center.

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