By: Andrew Gavin (@GBGavin)
GreenBayPhoenix.com
GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com)
- Jordan Fouse (Racine, Wis.) scored
a career-high 17 points and added 10 rebounds, four assists, four steals and
three blocked shots on Saturday afternoon. The freshman had four teammates join
him in double figures as Green Bay (10-9, 4-2 HL) concluded its four-game
homestand in style with a 77-50 victory over visiting Cleveland State (10-10,
2-4 HL) in Horizon League action at the Resch Center.
The Phoenix went 4-0 on its homestand and has now won
seven games in a row on its home court. During its winning streak, Green Bay
has held opponents to just 49.3 points per game and 33.4 percent shooting. The
defense was on display again on Saturday, with the Phoenix blocking 10 shots
and limiting Cleveland State to just 34.6 percent shooting (18-52).
The 10 blocks were tied for the second-most in program
history, and junior Alec Brown
(Winona, Minn.) led that effort as always. The program's all-time leading shot
blocker had a season-high six blocks and averaged four swats per game on the
homestand. Brown now has 187 blocked shots in his career.
Junior Sultan Muhammad (Grand Rapids, Mich.) drained a pair of three-pointers as part of
a 13-0 run that turned a 4-2 deficit into a 15-4 lead just over five minutes
into the game. Muhammad made his first four shots (3-3 3FGs) and had 13 of his
15 points at halftime. Brown and sophomore Keifer Sykes (Chicago, Ill.) each scored 14 points and senior Brennan Cougill (Sioux
City, Iowa) quietly had a double-double off the Phoenix bench (11 points, 10
rebounds).
Green Bay has had five occasions in its Division I
history where two teammates tallied double-doubles in the same game. Four of
them have come in the past three years under Wardle, and Cougill has been
involved three times.
With five players in double figures, the offense was
effective as Green Bay shot 54.8 percent from the field and made 25-of-32 free
throws (13-of-13 second half). The Phoenix started 8-of-15 from the line before
sinking its last 17 attempts.
However, as it has been the entire home winning streak,
the defense was the catalyst. Despite Brown's blocks, it was the freshman Fouse
leading the charge. Playing the top of a 1-2-2 zone, the 6-foot-7 Fouse
disrupted the Vikings offense.
After CSU whittled a 15-point lead down to nine late in
the first half, Fouse tallied four points, a steal and an assist in an
18-second stretch which sparked a 7-0 run to end the half. Green Bay led 43-26
at the break and was ahead by double digits the rest of the way.
Midway through the second half with Green Bay leading by
18 points, the Phoenix went on a 16-4 run including seven points from Brown and
six from Sykes to extend its lead to 30 with 2:44 remaining.
Getting 10 rebounds from Cougill and Fouse, Green Bay
also dominated the backboard. The Phoenix outrebounded Cleveland State 41-18
and limited CSU to just five offensive rebounds.
Green Bay will now take to the road for four games in a
row, beginning with a game on Wednesday night at Valparaiso at 7 p.m. That contest
will be broadcast by ESPN3 with Will Haskett (play-by-play) and Joel Cornette
(color analyst) on the call.
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or access GreenBayPhoenix.com/tickets.
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