GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) –The Green Bay men's basketball team took the Resch Center floor for the first time in 2015-16 under its new head coach Linc Darner, displaying balanced offense and stifling defense en route to a 95-41 victory over UW-Stout on Saturday afternoon in exhibition action.
All 11 Phoenix players who appeared in the game scored and six reached double-figures, led by sophomore guard Khalil Small (13 pts/7 reb/5 asts) and senior guard Carrington Love (13 points).
As balanced as Green Bay was on the offensive end, it proved to be equally as effective on the other end. Employing Darner's patented “RP40” style of defense (Relentless Pressure for 40 minutes), the Phoenix forced the Blue Devils into 24 turnovers, creating 14 steals, many of which were converted into fast-break opportunities. The Phoenix held an 18-2 edge on the break on the game, and outscored UW-Stout by 42 points, 60-18, in the paint.
The Blue Devils jumped out to an early 6-2 lead, however, Green Bay ended the first half on a 45-12 run while shooting 56.8 percent (21-of-37) from the floor to take a 47-18 lead into halftime. After a triple by UW-Stout senior Cory Speer made it 55-25 with 17:59 left to play, the Phoenix proceeded on a 27-0 run over the next 8 minutes and 55 seconds to put the game away.
Aside from its head coach, several Green Bay players made their Division I debuts in the contest, including junior-college transfers Charles Cooper and Jamar Hurdle and freshman twins Anthony and Avery Brown. The quartet combined for 31 points on 54.2 percent (13-of-24) shooting, each while displaying active hands in the passing lanes.
The Phoenix will have the next two weeks off as it prepares for the start of the regular season, which begins on Nov. 13 in California against the Stanford Cardinal. Game time is scheduled for 8 p.m. from Maples Pavilion, in what will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Fans looking to watch are able to do so on the Pac-12's family of networks.
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