By: Andrew Gavin (@GBGavin)
ESTERO, Fla. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – Holding East Carolina (2-2) without a point for the opening 7:48, Green Bay (2-1) jumped out to an early lead and posted a wire-to-wire 66-49 victory on Monday afternoon in the first game of the Gulf Coast Showcase at Germain Arena. Senior Greg Mays (Chicago, Ill.) scored a team-high 15 points and senior Keifer Sykes (Chicago, Ill.) added 12 to lead the Phoenix.
The Phoenix scored the game's first seven points, and after an ECU three-pointer, went on a 10-0 run to lead 17-3 with 9:25 to play before halftime.
Mays had eight points at halftime as Green Bay shot 53.8 percent and held the Pirates to only 27.6 percent from the floor. The Phoenix also had a 25-12 rebounding edge at intermission.
Green Bay scored 10 of the first 12 points after halftime to extend its lead to 21 (46-25) with 16:29 to play. The Pirates could get no closer than 12 the rest of the afternoon as the Phoenix advanced to the semifinals on Tuesday at 5 p.m. CST against the winner of Fresno State-Evansville.
The rebounding and defense was strong throughout the contest for the Phoenix, outrebounding the Pirates 37-23 and holding the opposition to just 31.9 percent from the field. Junior Jordan Fouse (Racine, Wis.) finished with eight points and a game-high nine rebounds.
With Mays finishing 6-of-9 from the field and Sykes making half of his 10 shots, the Phoenix shot 55.3 percent from the field. Senior Alfonzo McKinnie (Chicago, Ill.) paced the Green Bay reserves with nine points.
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