By: Joey Daniels
GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – After a slow start, the Green Bay men's basketball team ratcheted up its defensive pressure after halftime, and used a key 12-0 run early in the second half to take down Minnesota-Duluth in its home-opener on Sunday afternoon at the Resch Center, 94-74. The win gives first-year head coach Linc Darner his first career Division I victory at Green Bay.
Seniors Carrington Love (22 points and career-high tying five steals) and Jordan Fouse (15 points and eight rebounds) led the Phoenix, who shot 57.1 percent (16-of-28) while outscoring the Bulldogs by 21 points over the final 20 minutes to win its 13th-consecutive opener on its home floor dating back to the 2002-03 campaign.
Green Bay also received a couple of breakout performances in the game, as junior guard Tevin Findlay (Malton, Ontario, Canada) and sophomore guard Khalil Small (Chicago, Ill.) both posted new career highs. Findlay contributed 15 points in 17 minutes, going 4-of-5 from the field including a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. Small was equally efficient, finishing with 11 points in 13 minutes on 5-of-7 shooting.
Freshman guard Anthony Brown (Clermont, Fla.) made his first career start in the game in place of forward Turner Botz, who had been among Darner's starting five in the first three contests. Brown, who ended with six points and two assists in 22 minutes, is the first freshman to start a game for Green Bay since Jordan Fouse did so in all 34 games in 2012-13.
Despite forcing 14 turnovers in the opening half, Green Bay struggled to find any rhythm, as it was held to just 35.1 shooting (13-for-37) and just 4-of-15 (26.7 percent) from beyond the arc. Conversely, Minnesota-Duluth connected on 7-of-13 from downtown in the first 20 minutes of play and outrebounded the Phoenix by 18, 33-15, to lead by a point at the break, 39-38.
It was a different story in the second half, however, as Green Bay came out in a full-court press true to Darner's RP40 mantra and was able to get into the bonus with over 12 minutes remaining en route to season highs in both free-throws made (29) and attempted (42). After the Bulldogs knotted the score at 46 with 15:01 to play, the Phoenix went on a 12-0 run over the next 2 minutes and 51 seconds to grab a 58-46 edge, and would not look back. Green Bay forced 26 turnovers in the game, and has forced 10 or more in all four games thus far this season.
The Phoenix (1-3) will return to the Resch Center on Tuesday night against undefeated Akron (3-0). The Zips are on the road at No. 11 Villanova on Sunday afternoon before traveling to Wisconsin for a mid-major showdown.
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