By: Andrew Gavin (@GBGavin)

ESTERO, Fla. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – Jumping out of the gates with a 15-0 lead and holding Florida Gulf Coast (5-1) to just 27.3 percent shooting from the field, Green Bay (4-1) led wire-to-wire on Wednesday night and posted a 59-45 victory in the championship game of the Gulf Coast Showcase at Germain Arena.

Green Bay was the home team on the scoreboard in the neutral site event, but the Phoenix played in a hostile environment just three miles from Florida Gulf Coast's campus. From the opening tip-off, that didn't matter for head coach Brian Wardle's team.

“I could tell all day long that we had a bounce in our step and were ready to go,” Wardle said. “I told the team before the game, 'we've been tested already. Now let's go out there and throw the first punch.'”

Senior Keifer Sykes (Chicago, Ill.) scored the game's first basket to fuel the 15-0 start, and the All-American candidate continued to set the tone throughout the tournament and the game. Sykes finished with a game-high 19 points and added five rebounds, five assists and three steals. The senior was named the tournament most valuable player after averaging 17 points, six rebounds and 4.8 assists.

FGCU closed to 15-5, but senior Greg Mays (Chicago, Ill.) scored on a jumper and Sykes drained a triple to extend the lead back to 20-7.

Sykes was whistled for his second foul at the 4:47 mark with Green Bay leading 25-15, and FGCU immediately took advantage and closed the deficit to 25-20 at the 3:07 mark. The Phoenix defense stifled the Eagles until intermission, and led 26-20 at the break.

A third foul on Sykes came just 35 seconds into the second half, but Wardle left his point guard in the game and he scored the next four points. Two Mays free throws put Green Bay up 32-20, and moments later threw down a dunk in the lane.

Mays finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds for his fourth career double-double, and after the game joined Sykes on the all-tournament team. Mays averaged 12.7 points and 6.3 rebounds in the team's three wins.

The lead was at least nine points the rest of the way as the Phoenix completed an impressive run to the tournament trophy. During the run, the Phoenix held its opponents to 34 percent shooting (52-153) from the field and 28.6 percent from the three-point line (14-49).  

Green Bay returns home on Monday, hosting Minnesota-Duluth at 7 p.m. at the Resch Center.

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