By: Andrew Gavin (@GBGavin)

GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – Holding Valparaiso (18-4, 5-2 HL) to only 18.5 percent shooting in the second half, Green Bay (17-4, 6-1 HL) remained unbeaten at home and atop the Horizon League standings with a 51-50 victory in front of 4,916 fans at the Resch Center on Friday night.

The Phoenix, now 10-0 at home in 2014-15, fell behind by as many as 10 points early (19-9), but responded to close the margin to only 34-32 at halftime.

Valparaiso remained in front until for the first five minutes of the second half, before Green Bay used a 7-0 run over the span of 5:49 to take the lead. The Phoenix went ahead for the first time when senior Alfonzo McKinnie (Chicago, Ill.) scored in the paint for a 40-39 lead with 14:51 to play.

Senior Keifer Sykes (Chicago, Ill.) drained a triple moments later and the Phoenix moved in front by four points (43-39).

At the under-eight media timeout, Valparaiso was just 2-of-20 from the field in the second half but trailed by only one point. The score would change hands six times from that point forward.

After Valpo went in front 48-47 with 2:53 remaining, Sykes immediately scored in transition to reclaim the lead. Freshman Tevonn Walker scored to put the Crusaders up 50-49 with 1:56 remaining, but the visitors failed to score the rest of the night.

On the next possession, head coach Brian Wardle drew up a play for senior Greg Mays (Chicago, Ill.), who drove down the lane and scored off the glass for what became the game-winning bucket.

Green Bay missed the front end on two trips to the free-throw line, but its stifling defense held strong. Including the 5-of-27 effort in the second half, Valparaiso finished the game shooting 34.5 percent from the field and just 2-of-10 from long range. The Phoenix did not have a block at halftime before rejecting eight shots in the second half.

McKinnie scored 11 points, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked three shots, and Sykes added 11 points and six assists. Mays fought foul trouble but finished with nine points, four rebounds and three blocks.

The Phoenix will now take eight days off before another first-place showdown, playing at Cleveland State on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 1 p.m. The Vikings improved to 6-1 in league play with a 70-66 win over Detroit.

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