By Justin Grones (@JustinGrones)
GreenBayPhoenix.com
GREEN BAY, Wis.
(GreenBayPhoenix.com) - Last season
when Green Bay played Detroit, then-freshman Shareeta Brown averaged 21.6
points in three meetings. This year, the nation's second leading scorer at 26.0
points per game was held to a season-low eight points as Green Bay (11-2, 1-0
HL) and its nationally fifth-best defense continued its streak of dominance
defeating Detroit (7-6, 0-1 HL) 62-31 in the Horizon League opener.
Green Bay set the defensive tone early, forcing a
Detroit shot clock violation on the first possession of the game. On the
ensuing possession, Senior Sarah Eichler
(Grafton, Wis.) took a pass from fellow senior Lydia Bauer (Lake Zurich, Ill.) in transition and laid it in for
the first points of the game.
"I think our defense played well, they had to. We're
stingy, these kids play hard and help each other and they're in the right spot
at the right time," head coach Kevin
Borseth said.
The Phoenix stretched the lead to 5-3 before Detroit
sophomore Shareeta Brown, the nation's second-leading scorer at 26.0 points per
game, was fouled and went to the line. Brown made both attempts, but the two
points were the only two she would score in the first half. With two fouls, she
saw just 10 minutes on the court in the opening frame.
Tied at 5-5, Green Bay started a 7-2 run with an
Eichler layup. Less than a minute later senior Adrian Ritchie (De Pere, Wis.) drilled a three, starting a streak
of eight consecutive points for the Phoenix's leading scorer.
Detroit was able to cut the lead to 17-14 with 6:15
remaining in the first half, but from there the Phoenix used an 11-0 run to
take a 28-14 lead into the locker room. Ritchie finished the first half with a
game-high 12 points on a perfect 5-5 from the field including 2-2 from long
range.
A 9-2 run to open the second half forced Detroit to
call a timeout after Megan Lukan (Barrie,
Ontario, Canada) forced one of Detroit's 18 turnovers on the night and found Ritchie,
who dished it to Bauer for the finish. The Phoenix scored 22 points off Titan
turnovers, tying a season high.
A layup from Breannah
Ranger (Skokie, Ill.) with 11:07 remaining moved the lead to 46-23, but
sparked a scoreless drought from both teams for the next 3:07. During that
span, Ranger grabbed three rebounds and blocked a shot. Ranger scored just two points
on the night, but grabbed a game-high nine boards.
With 5:28 on the clock, Ritchie grabbed her seventh
steal of the game, setting a new career high. She found Lukan on the other end
for the score and the foul. Lukan hit her attempt from the charity stripe,
pushing the lead to 51-26. Ritchie finished with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting
and also had four assists.
Green Bay closed the game on a 9-3 run over the final
4:12, including four points from reserve players Sam Zastrow (Algoma, Wis.) and Taylor
Thomas (Wausau, Wis.). Zastrow, who finished the game with two points, an
assist and a steal, knocked down a turnaround 15-footer with 1:58 remaining. Thomas
grabbed an offensive rebound and dished it to Ranger, who fed it back to Thomas
in the lane for the lay in for the final points of the evening.
After holding Detroit, who entered the contest in the
top-25 in the nation in shooting percentage, to just 26.8 percent from the
floor, Green Bay has held five opponents to less than 30 percent shooting this
season. The win also marks the ninth time Green Bay has kept an opponent under
50 points, and the fourth time an opponent hasn't reached 40 points. The Titans'
31 points was the lowest total an opponent has had against the Phoenix this
season.
For the sixth straight game, Green Bay impressed in
the paint by holding a 34-14 advantage over Detroit. During the six-game
winning streak, the Phoenix has outscored opponents 206-64 down low.
Lukan scored 11 points, and had an impressive six
rebounds, six assists and three steals. Bauer also added 11, while Eichler
pitched in 10.
Brown was Detroit's leading scorer and rebounder with
eight points and five boards after attempting just four shots from the field.
"She's an incredibly talented player, and every time you
play her you're going to have your hands full," Borseth said.
Green Bay remains at home to finish up a three-game
homestand, welcoming Wright State and Horizon League Preseason Player of the
Year Kim Demmings on Saturday. Tipoff, originally set for 2 p.m., will be at
noon as part of the Back-to-Back-to-Pack
promotion.
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