EVANSVILLE, Ind. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) --- Green Bay dropped its final nonconference game of the season on Saturday night, an 80-75 defeat at Evansville at the Ford Center. The Phoenix, which will now enter Horizon League play a week from tonight, was a possession away from tying the game in the last minute against the Purple Aces.

Trailing 78-75 with 21 seconds left, Sandy Cohen III tried a contested runner in the lane to cut the deficit to one, but it was off the mark and Evansville grabbed the rebound. The home team hit both free throws after that and sent GB home with a tough road loss heading into Christmas break.

Kameron Hankerson scored a season-high 18 points off the bench, while Cohen added 16 points of his own. JayQuan McCloud was also in double-figures, hitting three-straight 3-pointers at one point to bring GB back from its second-half deficit, finishing with 11 points. 

Green Bay will begin its Horizon League slate next Saturday (Dec. 29) at in-state rival Milwaukee, tipping off at 7 p.m. on Fox Sports Wisconsin at the UWM Panther Arena. 

QUICK HITS

• Evansville ended the game on a 6-1 run
• Cohen has scored in double-figures in 12 of 13 games this year
• GB led by two at the half, but never led again after that
• GB trailed by as many as 11 points in the second half
• The Phoenix shot just 40 percent (27-66)
• Cohen had 3 blocks for the third time this year
• PJ Pipes and ShanQuan Hemphilll each scored 8 points
• GB will wrap up a four-game road trip at Milwaukee next week

###

For the latest and most up-to-date information on Green Bay Athletics, please visit GreenBayPhoenix.com.

Follow us on Twitter:  @GBPhoenixMBB and Instagram: gbphoenixmbb

Like Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball and Green Bay Phoenix Athletics on Facebook.

---GreenBayPhoenix.com---