GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) --- The Green Bay men's basketball team will make a quick turnaround to host Stetson on Monday night at the Resch Center, playing its final game of the Hoops in the Heartland benefiting Men Against Breast Cancer. The Phoenix downed Florida A&M on Friday night, to improve to 2-2 on the season, and will look to stay perfect at home this season when it welcomes the Hatters. 

CATCH THE ACTION: Monday, November 27 - 7:00 PM CT // Ashwaubenon, Wis. (Resch Center)

Game Notes: Green Bay Notes   |   Stetson Notes

Matchup: Green Bay Phoenix (2-2, 0-0 HL) vs Stetson (4-2, 0-0 ASUN)

Tickets: Purchase Here

Where to Follow Stats: StatBroadcast Live Stats

Where to Watch: ESPN3 / WatchESPN

Where to Listen: WNFL 101.9 FM, 1440 AM with Brian Kuklinski on the call

For Live in-game updates, follow: @gbphoenixmbb on Twitter and gbphoenixmbb on Instagram

RP40 NOTES

• Green Bay grinded out a 57-50 win over Florida A&M on Friday night, converting just 14 field goals and five 3-pointers. The Phoenix made up for the poor shooting with consistent shooting at the free throw line, going 24-for-29 (82.8 percent). Khalil Small led the way with 16 points and seven rebounds, including an 11-for-12 effort at the charity stripe. Kameron Hankerson added 12 points and was the only player in the game to make multiple 3s.

• The 59.8 PPG Green Bay is allowing leads the Horizon League in scoring defense through four games, which also ranks in the top 25 of the NCAA. That average currently serves as the lowest points allowed total since the 1999-2000 season, when GB allowed 57.8 PPG. The 50 points GB held FAMU to marks its lowest point total of the year, and that includes challenging games at UNLV, 11^th-ranked Miami, Mississippi State and North Dakota State. GB also held MSU to their lowest point total of the season at 77 points, and narrowly pulled that upset before falling 77-68.

• With the defense doing its part, it comes as no surprise that GB is allowing a Horizon League-best 34.4 field goal percentage defense total. What is even more impressive is that teams are shooting just 10-for-98 from 3-point range against the Phoenix, which stands at only 10.2 percent, which leads the NCAA as of Saturday, Nov. 25. GB held FAMU to a 1-for-14 effort from long range.

• GB continued its consistent effort at the free throw line on Friday night, going 24-for-29 and adding to its impressive percentage this season. Through four games, the Phoenix is shooting 81.2 percent (95-for-117) from the charity stripe, which ranks 11^th in the NCAA. GB has shot 80 percent or better from the line in three of four games this year and would probably not have beaten FAMU if not for clutch free throws.

• Redshirt-sophomore TJ Parham has made at least one 3-pointer in all four games this season and leads the team with seven made 3s on the year, hitting at a 43.8 percent (7-for-16) clip. Parham is third on the team in scoring with 11.3 PPG, one three players averaging in double figures for the Phoenix.

• Sophomore Kameron Hankerson has now scored in double-figures in his last three games, ranking second on the team in scoring (11.8 PPG) and minutes (26.5 MPG). Hankerson is also a perfect 10-for-10 at the free throw line this year and is shooting 53.3 percent from the field.

• Khalil Small has been doing his part as a senior leader, leading the team with 14.3 PPG and 9.0 RPG, along with 3.0 APG. Small leads the team in minutes with 32.0 MPG and has made the most free throws (31-for-34) of any player in the Horizon League.

• The 57 points scored by the Phoenix in its most recent victory are the fewest points scored in a win since the team beat Chicago State 54-50 on Dec. 31, 2014. The 57 points are also the fewest head coach Linc Darner has ever scored in a winning effort in his 16 years of coaching. Additionally, the 14 made field goals are the fewest in a win for Green Bay since Jan. 26, 2014, in a 62-52 win over Detroit. That total is also the fewest field goals ever made under Linc Darner in his three years at GB, speaking to the strong efforts at the free throw line and performances on the defensive end to grind out these low-scoring victories.

DARNER DANDY
In his first two seasons at the helm, Darner has won 41 games, the most in the first two seasons by any Green Bay men's basketball coach in the history of the school. Darner led the Phoenix to its fifth-consecutive postseason berth, after his team was invited to the 2017 College Basketball Invitational. In 2016-17, his team finished third in the Horizon League with a 12-6 record and an 18-14 overall mark. Darner coached four players to the Horizon All-League teams, the most in program history. Despite losing his starting point guard early in the conference season, Darner coached the Phoenix to 12 league wins, with five of them coming on the road. His team went 10-3 at home, including big wins over Valparaiso, Northern Kentucky, Wright State and Milwaukee.

GREEN BAY BASKETBALL IS BACK
The 49^th season of Green Bay Phoenix basketball will take place in 2017-18, the third season under the direction of head coach Linc Darner. The program began back in 1969-70 with Hall of Fame coach Dave Buss leading the way, and 48 years later and 862 total wins carries into another season. The program has now finished .500 or better in 10 of the last 11 seasons and has won 18 or more games in five-straight years.

YOUR BETTER HALF
The Phoenix, with its third place finish in the Horizon League regular season last year, has now finished in the top half of the league standings in five-straight seasons. During this stretch, the team has also made five-straight postseason appearances and finished Top 3 in the HL in four of those years. Of course, the Phoenix punched its NCAA Tournament bid in 2016 after winning four games in four days in Detroit, and captured the regular season title in 2014. Most impressively, Green Bay is the only team in the HL to have finished in the top half in each of the past five seasons.

SENIOR SWAG
The 2017-18 senior leadership will be carried by seniors Khalil Small and David Jesperson, both entering their final seasons in a Phoenix uniform. Small has not missed a game over the last two seasons (68 total), and has started in 60 of those games. Jesperson appeared in 30 of his team's 32 games from a season ago, after sitting out 2015-16 upon transferring. The two seniors at the top is far apart from the six seniors the Phoenix featured last season, each of whom graduated this past May.

OPPORTUNITY AWAITS
With the departure of eight key players from a season ago, coach Darner and his staff will be faced with the tall task of replacing over 80 percent of its scoring and over 80 percent of its minutes played from last year. Six graduating seniors and two transfers created a roster that boasts three familiar faces and a plethora of newcomers. All told, 15.6 PPG returns from this past season, but this vacancy creates a an opportunity for the many young faces and JUCO transfers to step in. They also won't have a choice, especially with Cody Schwartz sitting for the season due to NCAA Division I transfer rules and Sandy Cohen III not eligible until Dec. 21.

COHEN GRANTED
Now a redshirt-junior, Seymour native Sandy Cohen III was granted an additional year of eligibility, the program announced on October 6, 2017. Cohen III will become eligible on Dec. 21 at home against Bowling Green and will then have another full season (2018-19) remaining. The Marquette-transfer averaged 11.0 PPG for the team in Puerto Rico and led the team in rebounding with 5.5 RPG. "This is great news for Sandy and our program." Agreed.

DEFENSE NOT SMALL
Senior Khalil Small was named to the Horizon League All-Defensive Team last season, serving as the team's lock down defender and being forced to guard some of the best players in the HL. The Chicago native averaged 5.2 RPG, registered over a steal per game and finished with 9.6 PPG in league games last season.

JUCO JUMP
TJ Parham and Sukhjot Bains will make the jump from the JUCO ranks to the Division I level this season, and will be relied upon early and often for the Phoenix. Parham brings a wealth of experience as a redshirt-sophomore, spending last season at Wabash Valley College in Illinois, averaging 15.4 PPG and 5.4 RPG in 30 games. Bains averaged 13.4 PPG and 8.0 RPG at Northwest College in Wyoming and brings a good combination of size and shooting, which fits well in Darner's RP40 system.

KRASHING THE KRESS
For the first time in program history, Green Bay will host a Horizon League contest at the Kress Center on campus. The Phoenix will host UIC on Friday, Feb. 16, for an 8 p.m. tip with the game to be televised nationally on the ESPN Family of Networks. Working in conjunction with the Green Bay Alumni Association, "Krash the Kress" will serve as the Phoenix's final home game of the 2017-18 season. More information on the game and event, including promotions, activities and game details will be released later.

HOOPS IN THE HEARTLAND
The Phoenix will take part in the 2017 Hoops in the Heartland benefitting Men Against Breast Cancer, playing three home games and one road game. The team will host Lakeland College on Friday, Nov. 17, its first official home game of the year, before traveling to Mississippi State on Monday, Nov. 20. Green Bay then returns home for a pair of games against two teams from the Sunshine State in Florida A&M (Friday, Nov. 24) and Stetson (Monday, Nov. 27).

HARD HORIZON
Green Bay will be put to the test to open league action, playing seven games in the first 15 days of the Horizon League schedule. The Phoenix will open at home with Detroit Mercy (Dec. 28) and Oakland (Dec. 30) before the New Year, and will host the league's newest member in IUPUI on Jan. 2.

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