GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com)– While it wasn't easy at times, the Green Bay women's basketball team outscored second-place Wright State by 13 points in the second half— holding the Raiders to just four points in the fourth quarter— to clinch its unprecedented 18th consecutive conference title, 70-55, on Thursday night at the Kress Center.
Junior guard Mehryn Kraker led the Phoenix with 16 points, one of five Green Bay players to reach double figures in scoring in the game, as Kevin Borseth's team played together down the stretch to win its seventh-consecutive game.
Wright State (20-8, 10-5 HL) hung tough with the Phoenix in the opening half, pulling within a pair at the break, 39-37, after senior guard Kim Demmings knocked down an off-balance triple as time expired. The Raiders connected on 6-of-12 shots from 3-point range through the first 20 minutes.
The Phoenix (24-3, 14-1 HL) wore down the league's second-place team in the second half; however, displaying its championship mettle through its ability to consistently pound the ball inside. All told, Green Bay outscored WSU in the paint by 24 points on the evening, 36-12, and used a 12-6 edge on the offensive glass toward an 18-4 advantage in second-chance points.
Defensively, senior guard Kaili Lukan and the rest of the Phoenix's effort on the Horizon League's all-time leading scorer proved to be a vital factor. Green Bay limited Demmings to just 2-of-11 from the field and 1-of-9 from beyond the arc on the game, while Wright State went cold from the outside after halftime, finishing just 3-of-14 (21.4 percent).
Playing on her 21st birthday, guard Tesha Buck chipped in with 12 points and six rebounds for the Phoenix, while Allie LeClaire (11 points), Jessica Lindstrom (10 pts/7 reb) and Lukan (10 pts/4 ast) were also major contributors.
Green Bay converted 14 Raiders' turnovers into 16 points, while WSU was only able to score eight off seven Phoenix miscues.
Green Bay will now ready itself for Senior Day on Saturday afternoon against Northern Kentucky, with opening tip from the Kress Center scheduled for 1 p.m. In addition to honoring both Lukan and Ashley Luke in a post-game ceremony, the Phoenix will be hosting Alumni Day and a Food Drive sponsored by Cellcom.
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