GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) --- Green Bay will play its first Horizon League game of the season on Saturday night, traveling down I-43 to take on in-state rival Milwaukee at the UWM Panther Arena for a 7 p.m. tip. The Phoenix had won five-straight games against the Panthers prior to the last meeting won by Milwaukee at the Panther Arena, and now GB will look to start a new streak against its rival in the 63rd all-time meeting between the two schools.
 
CATCH THE ACTION: 
at Milwaukee (5-8) | Saturday, Dec. 29 - 7 p.m. CT // UWM Panther Arena (Milwaukee, Wis.)
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QUICK PREVIEW

ONLY KNOW 1-0
Under head coach Linc Darner, Green Bay is a perfect 3-0 in Horizon League openers. GB has beaten Detroit Mercy (17-18), Cleveland State (16-17) and Northern Kentucky (15-16) under Darner, and will look to add Milwaukee to its hit list on Saturday. In total, the Phoenix has won five-straight league openers, a stretch that began with a win at Milwaukee in the 2013-14 season. The five-straight wins in league openers is the longest active streak among all Horizon League teams. 

CREAM CITY SUCCESS
Saturday's game will mark the 63rd all-time meeting between the in-state rivals, a series that dates way back to the first meeting on Jan. 16, 1971. GB leads the series 37-25, and has won five out of the last six meetings, including four out of the last six in Milwaukee. Since 2014, three of the 12 meetings have gone to OT and seven of those meetings have been decided by single digits. The two teams will meet again in Green Bay on Feb. 1. 

SUPERSANDY
Sandy Cohen III has worn the cape for Green Bay this year, leading his team in just about every category, including points, free throws, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and minutes. Cohen is the only player in NCAA Division I to lead his team in each of those categories. Cohen has scored in double-figures in 12 of 13 games this year, and is averaging 19.3 PPG over his last three games. He's now recorded at least 3 blocks in three games this year and has at least three steals in six games. The Seymour native ranks in the top 10 of the HL in scoring, rebounding, assists and blocks, while leading in blocks. 

NONCON WRAPUP
Green Bay finished its nonconference season with a 6-7 record, highlighted by victories over Belmont and NIU, and a 2K Empire Classic Subregional Championship at Eastern Washington. GB is the only team to beat Belmont (10-1) this year and challenged itself by playing at Iowa, at Oregon, at Creighton and at Michigan State. Take out those four games, and the two non-Division I games, and GB was 4-3 against mid-major opponents. The Phoenix is 172 in the NET rankings, fourth among the Horizon League schools. 

NCAA RANKINGS
GB ranks in the top 25 of the NCAA in four main statistical categories through 13 games played, while also leading the Horizon League in each category:
Total Steals (115): 11th
Turnover Margin (4.6-1): 20th
Steals per Game (8.8): 21st
Scoring Offense (84.2 PPG): 22nd

TURNOVER TERRIFIC
Green Bay's pressure defense continues to force teams into bad passes and turnovers, having now forced double-figure turnovers in every game this season. GB ranks 34th in the NCAA in turnovers forced, averaging 16.9 forced per game. The team is even better when measuring turnover margin, ranking 20th in the NCAA with a 4.6-1 turnover margin. GB has forced at least 16 turnovers in six games this year, and has forced over 20 turnovers twice. The turnovers have amounted a ton of steals for the Phoenix, which ranks 11th in the NCAA with 115 steals this season.

THREE'S COMPANY
Green Bay is led by a trio of high-flying and athletic scorers so far this season, with each averaging over 12 points per game. Sandy Cohen III leads the way with 15.7 PPG, scoring in double-figures in 12 of 13 games this year. ShanQuan Hemphill has also been very impressive in his first season at GB, averaging 12.2 PPG. JayQuan McCloud has also come through for the Phoenix this year in his first GB season, averaging 13.1 PPG, starting in his last two games at Michigan State and Evansville. After this trio of scorers, four GB players are averaging just over 7 points per game, showing a mix of balance under the three main scorers. All four of those scorers (Kameron Hankerson, Cody Schwartz, PJ Pipes, Manny Patterson) have enjoyed breakout games at some point this season.

LEAGUE LEADERS
Green Bay leads the Horizon League in multiple categories entering league play: 
Scoring Offense, 84.2 PPG
Total steals and steals per game, 115 and 8.8
Turnover Margin, 5.6-1
Turnovers Forced, 16.9
and ranks second in the HL in total rebounds and free throws made. 

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