By: Joey Daniels (@GBPhoenixWBB)
GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – The offensive and defensive prowess of the Lukan sisters helped lead the Green Bay women's basketball team past Youngstown State on Saturday afternoon at the Kress Center, running away with a 66-43 victory.
Green Bay (12-3, 2-0 HL) held the visiting Penguins (12-3, 1-1 HL) to a lowly 22.9 percent (11-48) shooting performance, the lowest percentage it has given up this season. YSU came into the game averaging 71. 6 points per game and 42.8 percent shooting, but the Phoenix team defense held its visitors to totals well below those season averages.
“Today we came with a lot of energy. Youngstown is really good. Tonight we proved we can compete at a high level and that we need to do that on a night in night out basis,” head coach Kevin Borseth said.
The duo of Megan Lukan and Kaili Lukan was too much for Youngstown State to handle. Megan Lukan, after posting 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists at Wright State on Wednesday, picked up right where she left off by scoring a game-high 19 points, 10 rebounds and five assists on Saturday.
“I just want to be aggressive. Whether that's me taking shots or setting up my teammates, and I think we brought a lot of energy today. We decided we were going to dictate the pace and that really showed on the court,” Megan Lukan said.
Kaili Lukan added 13 points of her own, while also grabbing four rebounds and dishing out three assists. Lukan's defense was even more impressive, as the junior tied her career high in steals with six.
From the opening tip it seemed apparent that Green Bay was not going to suffer its third-straight loss to Youngstown State, who defeated the Phoenix twice last season. It opened the game with a 5-0 lead and it soon ballooned to as many as 17 points in the first half, which was the total lead at halftime at 33-16.
Any chance of a comeback was left dead, as the Phoenix opened the second half on a 12-0 run before YSU finally scored its first points of the second half at 15:06. Green Bay would lead by as many as 31 points in the second half, before holding its fourth team this season to under 50 points.
Alle LeClaire contributed 10 points, while Tesha Buck served up five assists and added five points. Sam Terry pulled down a career high 12 rebounds off the bench and also knocked down a three-pointer before finishing with five points.
The 2-0 record to start league play marks the 10th time in the last 11 seasons that the Phoenix has started with at least a 2-0 record in Horizon League play. GB is now 30-3 all-time against Youngstown State.
Green Bay will watch a week pass by before it returns home to face in-state rival Milwaukee. Tip-off at the Kress Center is set for 1 p.m.
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