By: Andrew Gavin (@GBGavin)
ESTERO, Fla. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – Using dominant defensive in the first half and clutch plays down the stretch, Green Bay (3-1) posted a gutsy 64-62 victory over previously undefeated Evansville (3-1) on Tuesday night in the semifinals of the 2014 Gulf Coast Showcase at Germain Arena.
The Phoenix advances to Wednesday night's championship game, where it will meet the winner of the San Francisco-Florida Gulf Coast at 7:30 p.m. CST.
Senior Keifer Sykes (Chicago, Ill.) scored 20 points on 9-of-17 shooting to lead all scorers, and added eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. Led by Sykes and seven total team dunks, Green Bay shot 50 percent from the field (24-48) and 62 percent inside the three-point arc (21-34).
The Phoenix used a 10-0 run midway through the first half to turn a 12-6 deficit into a 16-12 lead. With Sykes scoring nine points, Green Bay held a 26-23 lead at intermission with Evansville shooting only 28 percent.
In the second half, Green Bay led by as many as eight points early on, but the two teams spent the final 16:47 of the night with neither team leading by more than four points.
Evansville took a 55-54 lead with 5:26 to play, but Sykes answered moments later with a three-point play to put the Phoenix in front to stay. After a defensive stop on the other end, Sykes knocked down another jumper and Green Bay led 59-55 with 4:15 remaining.
Sykes hammered home his third dunk in transition with 2:12 to play and Green Bay led 63-59, but D.J. Balentine barely beat the shot clock on the next play with a long triple to cut the mark to 63-62.
After empty possessions by both teams, junior Carrington Love (Milwaukee, Wis.) split a pair of free throws. Love and senior Greg Mays (Chicago, Ill.) finished with 11 points to give the Phoenix three in double figures.
Evansville had two shots in the final 16 seconds, but neither went through the net and the Phoenix earned the victory.
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