GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – Returning to the court for the first time in nine days, the Green Bay men's basketball team stayed true to its early-season “RP40” identity on Tuesday night, as senior guard Carrington Love scored a game-high 29 points and the Phoenix forced 23 turnovers en route to a 93-88 win over Pacific at the Resch Center.
Green Bay, who has now won five of its last six games, shot 53.3 percent (32-of-60) and had all 10 of its players who appeared in the contest record points, marking the ninth straight time to begin the season that at least nine players have reached the scoring column.
Five players in all reached double-figures for the Phoenix, including Charles Cooper (15), Turner Botz (career-high 12), Jamar Hurdle (career-high 10) and Khalil Small (10). But the catalyst for Green Bay was Love, as the Milwaukee native finished 8-of-13 from the field and five-of-nine from beyond the arc, one triple shy of tying his career high of six accomplished in Green Bay's season-opener on Nov. 13 at Stanford.
In what was the first meeting ever between the two programs, Pacific kept things interesting down the stretch, as a combination of missed Phoenix free-throws (50.0 percent, 22-of-44) and the Tigers' Alec Kobre (team-high 25 points) drew the visitors as close as four points with 18 seconds remaining, 92-88, although that would be as close as Pacific would get.
Both teams shot better than 50 percent in the first half of play; however, it was the Phoenix that forced 14 turnovers and held a 13-4 advantage on points off those miscues through the opening 20 minutes. Trailing by a pair, 11-9, with 15:29 to play in the opening half, Green Bay went on an 11-0 run over the next five-and-a-half minutes to take a seven-point lead, 18-11. The Phoenix extended its lead to 13 by connecting on 6-of-9 triples, including four from Love, who was a perfect 3-of-3 during a 1 minute, 43 second span.
The Phoenix (5-4) will conclude its three-game home stand on Sunday afternoon against Division III UW-Superior (4-4) before a Dec. 23 date with the Wisconsin Badgers in Madison. Tip for Sunday's matinee at the Resch Center is scheduled for 12 noon.
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