By: Joey Daniels (@GBPhoenixWBB)
WATCH: ESPN3 (Domestic) | HLN (International)
LISTEN: WNFL 1440 AM, 92.1 FM
STATS: LIVE STATS
GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – After enjoying a successful nonconference, the Green Bay women's basketball team will tip-off Horizon League play at defending league tournament champion Wright State on Wednesday (Jan. 7) night at the Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio, in a quest for its 17th-straight conference championship.
Green Bay (10-3) finished its nonconference portion of the schedule with an impressive 10 wins, including a perfect 5-0 record at home. Those 10 wins were highlighted by victories over then-No. 24 Purdue, Arizona State, Wisconsin, Marquette and South Dakota State. The Phoenix enjoyed a 3-2 record on the road, and will be making its second trip to Dayton, Ohio, in as many weeks following a visit to the University of Dayton on Dec. 28 (Lost, 72-66).
Wright State (11-3) relished a fine nonconference season as well by winning 11 games, which was tied for the most in the league (Youngstown State also won 11). The Raiders knocked off Green Bay in the Horizon League Tournament Championship game at the Kress Center last season, snapping a run of three-straight tournament titles for the Phoenix. WSU has won seven of its last eight games, including three straight.
HORIZON LEAGUE TIP-OFF
It's been nothing shy of pure dominance by the Phoenix in its conference-openers, as the program boasts a perfect 26-0 all-time record in its opening game of the conference season (dating back to 1988-89, first year in a Division I conference). What's even more impressive is the average margin of victory in those games, which happens to be a whopping 18.5 points per game. Included in those 26 wins are two against Wright State, with Green Bay winning one at home and one on the road. To make it 27 conference-openers in a row, Green Bay will have to knock off the defending tournament champions, which has gone 6-1 at home this season and also went 6-2 in Horizon League play at home last season.
DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE
Over the past four games, which Green Bay has gone 3-1, the Phoenix has allowed an average of only 48.8 PPG to its opponents. Three of those four games its opponents failed to reach more than 43 points, with Dayton's 72 points the heavy outlier. Green Bay has allowed fewer than 60 points in seven games this season; they're a perfect 7-0 in those games. The Phoenix is allowing 60.4 points per game this season, which ranks third in the league, while its opponents are shooting just 40.8 percent from the floor and 29.4 percent from three-point land.
vs WRIGHT STATE
It's been a dominant output by Green Bay in the series, which happens to own a 52-4 (.929) all-time record against the Raiders. The most important number is their last meeting however, where Wright State cruised to an 88-69 victory in last year's Horizon League Tournament title game. WSU's win last year snapped a 25-game winning streak by the Phoenix in the series and marked the first win by the Raiders over GB since January 5, 2004. These two teams have combined to win the last four Horizon League Championships. In last year's regular season meeting in Dayton, GB won 79-72 in OT.
LUKAN LEADING
Following a five-assist performance in her last game against Davenport, senior point guard Megan Lukan became the program's all-time leader in Division I history in assists, increasing her total to 427 assists moving her past Natalie Berglin (2004-07) who finished her career with 424 assists. Lukan needs seven more assists to move into third place all-time in program history.
DAYTON DOUBLE DOWN
The Phoenix will visit Dayton, Ohio, for the second time in 10 days. The Phoenix visited the University of Dayton on Dec. 28 in its final game of the 2014 calendar year. Green Bay lost that game 72-66, despite leading by nine at halftime. Following that game, Green Bay is now 24-5 in the city of Dayton.
###
For the latest and most up-to-date information on Green Bay Athletics, please visit GreenBayPhoenix.com.
Follow us on Twitter: @GBPhoenix, @GBPhoenixWBB and @GBJoeyD.
Like Green Bay Phoenix Athletics on Facebook.
---GreenBayPhoenix.com---
