GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – With still one game remaining on the regular season schedule, the Green Bay men's basketball team has secured the No. 4 seed in next weekend's Little Caesar's Horizon League Championship in Detroit, following its 85-69 win over UIC on Friday night at the Resch Center.
Green Bay (19-11, 11-6 HL) is now one win away from 20, which would be the third-straight season it has surpassed the notable 20-win mark. The win is also the fourth-straight and fifth over the last six games for the Phoenix, which also improved to an impressive 11-2 mark at the Resch Center in the process.
Four players scored in double figures for the Phoenix, led by Charles Cooper's 20 points. It's the third time this season that Cooper has scored 20 or more points, and the sixth-straight game he's recorded double figures.
Joining Cooper in double-figure land was Carrington Love (19 points), Jordan Fouse (14 points) and Jamar Hurdle (13 points). Cooper and Fouse each notched a double-double in the game as well, recording 10 and 15 rebounds respectively.
The senior Fouse, who will be honored on Sunday for Senior Day, has now racked up 10 double-doubles this season. Fouse becomes just the sixth player in program history to tally at least 10 double-doubles in a season.
The Phoenix hit five of its first six shots and held an 18-8 advantage with just over 10 minutes in the first half. The Flames (5-23, 3-14 HL) would then go on a 24-11 run to close the half, with both teams looking out of sorts at times as the two programs combined for 25 turnovers in the first 20 minutes alone.
The second half was a different story however, as Green Bay would outscore UIC 53-38, highlighted by eight made three-pointers. Love made four three's himself, while Hurdle added a pair of his own, having now made at least one three-pointer in six straight games.
Green Bay did score 19 points off of 18 UIC turnovers and converted 24 points on second chance opportunities.
The 21 free throw attempts by the Phoenix in the game gives them 829 free throw attempts this season, setting a new program-record in that category, surpassing the 826 attempts by the 1970-71 team.
With the Phoenix locking up the No. 4 seed, it will play its first game of #MotorCityMadness on Saturday, Mar. 5 at 12 p.m. ET against the No. 9 seed in Joe Louis Arena. The No. 9 seeded team has yet to be determined, and mathematically could still be Cleveland State, UIC or Northern Kentucky depending on results this weekend.
Green Bay will now turn its attention to regular-season champion Valparaiso, who it will face in its regular season finale on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Resch Center. Seniors Carrington Love and Jordan Fouse will be honored prior to the game and the first 1,000 fans will receive a free team poster presented by DigiCopy.
###
For the latest and most up-to-date information on Green Bay Athletics, please visit GreenBayPhoenix.com.
Follow us on Twitter: @GBPhoenix and @GBPhoenixMBB.
Like Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball and Green Bay Phoenix Athletics on Facebook.
---GreenBayPhoenix.com---
