By: Andrew Gavin (@GBGavin)
GreenBayPhoenix.com
VALPARAISO, Ind. (GreenBayPhoenix.com)
- Visiting Green Bay (10-10, 4-3 HL) fell behind early and despite a comeback
which cut a 16-point deficit to just three at halftime, the Phoenix could not
rally past league-leading Valparaiso (16-5, 6-1 HL) in a 73-61 loss at the
Athletics and Recreation Center on Wednesday night.
Junior Alec Brown (Winona,
Minn.) scored a team-high 18 points in the defeat, but a third foul early in the
second half limited his minutes. The 7-foot-1 junior had 14 of his 18 points in
the opening half and added six rebounds and two blocked shots. With 92 points in
five games against Valparaiso, Brown has now scored 981 career points.
Sophomore Keifer Sykes (Chicago, Ill.) scored 11 of his 15 points in the first half and
senior Brennan Cougill (Sioux City,
Iowa) also reached double figures with 12.
Green Bay fell behind by 9-2 early, and the Crusaders had
extended their lead to 16 (28-12) with 8:05 left in the first half. With Brown
and Sykes combining for 16, the Phoenix went on an 18-3 run to cut the Valpo
lead to just one (30-29) with 1:38 left before halftime. The Crusaders went to
halftime leading 34-31.
In the second half, The Phoenix was undone by Valparaiso's
ability to get to the foul line and convert its opportunities. Horizon League
Preseason Player of the Year Ryan Broekhoff was held to just 2-of-7 shooting
from the field but knocked down 14-of-15 at the foul line to score a game-high 19
points as Valpo made 27-of-33 at the charity stripe, including 19-of-22 in the final
20 minutes.
Broekhoff converted an impressive three-point play for
his first field goal at the 7:04 mark, and Matt Kenney drained a three-pointer
to give Valpo a 10-point edge (58-48) with 6:17 remaining. Again, Green Bay
responded.
Sparked by five-straight points from junior Daniel Turner (McCordsville, Ind.),
Green Bay went on a 10-3 capped by a tip-in from freshman Jordan Fouse (Racine,
Wis.). Fouse's bucket made it 61-58 with 2:04 to play.
Broekhoff responded for Valpo again, hitting a step back
three-pointer on the next possession and Valpo finished the game on a 12-3 run.
In a matchup of the league's top two rebounding teams,
Green Bay outrebounded Valparaiso 33-31 behind nine rebounds from Fouse.
Green Bay continues its four-game road trip on Friday
night at Milwaukee at 8 p.m. in a game televised by ESPNU.
###
Single-game tickets are on sale with the Green Bay
Athletics Ticket Office. For more information and to order tickets, please call
920.465.2625, visit the athletics department offices in the Kress Events Center
or access GreenBayPhoenix.com/tickets.
For the latest and most up-to-date information on Green
Bay Athletics, please visit GreenBayPhoenix.com.
Follow us on Twitter: @GBPhoenix, @GBPhoenixMBB and @GBGavin.
Like Green
Bay Phoenix men's basketball and Green
Bay Phoenix Athletics on Facebook.
