GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) --- Green Bay will open their 2019-2020 regular season in Mount Pleasant, Michigan in a pairing with the Central Michigan Chippewas this Wednesday.

CATCH THE ACTION: Wednesday, November 6^th – 6 p.m.  // Mount Pleasant, MI (McGuirk Arena)

Matchup: Central Michigan vs Green Bay

Where to Listen: The Fan 1400 AM

Where to Watch: ESPN+

Scouting the Chippewas: Central Michigan enters the 2019-20 campaign with a new head coach. Heather Oesterle was named Central Michigan's head women's basketball coach in July, succeeding her long-time mentor Sue Guevara. Oesterle has been with the Chippewas for nine seasons, accumulating a plethora of success in the form of three MAC Conference championships, two MAC Tournament titles, and five MAC West Division crowns. The Chippewas are coming off a 25-8 season in 2018-2019 where they were 15-3 in conference play and first place in the west division in the Mid-American Conference. Three starters return this year for the maroon and gold along with three freshman being added to the roster. The two starters lost combined for over 42 points per game, so the Chippewas will be searching for players to step into that scoring role. Central Michigan, the three-time defending MAC regular-season champions were picked to finish first in the West. One player more than likely to move into that lead role for Central Michigan is junior, Micaela Kelly who is the returning statistical leader from 2018=2019 in 7 of the 10 major categories. She was a MAC All-Freshman Team honoree in 2017-2018 and was named to All-MAC Third Team last season, where she started all 33 games and averaged a touch under 15 points per game. Maddy Watters will return to the starting lineup where she averaged over 30 minutes per game last season along with Jahari Smith who led the Chippewas in blocks last season with 20.

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PRESEASON PROMINENCE    
The Green Bay women's basketball team is no stranger to high expectations, with this year being no exception. The Phoenix is favored in the Horizon League's preseason poll for the 12th-consecutive season, sharing the title with defending champion Wright State.

FABULOUS FRANKIE    
Frankie Wurtz was the lone GB member recognized on the preseason all-league teams, receiving a first-team nod from conference. Wurtz returns to the roster after leading Green Bay in scoring in 2018-19, averaging 10.5 points per game. She is the first player to return to the roster after leading the team in scoring since Allie LeClaire accomplished the same feat in 2015-16. Despite missing games due to injury, Wurtz was still able to lead the Phoenix in three-pointers made with 41.

TOURNAMENT TESTS    
Green Bay will be tested early and often this season, as its non-conference slate currently features seven opponents who advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season, with Central Michigan (Nov. 6), South Dakota (Nov. 9), Missouri (Nov. 16), Marquette (Nov. 19), DePaul (Dec. 7), Maine (Dec. 13) and South Dakota State (Dec. 21) all punching their tickets in 2019. The Phoenix also has the potential to take the court against additional NCAA Tournament teams based on results in the Victoria Invitational.

KEY RETURNERS    
Green Bay was plagued by injuries a season ago and returns a number of key players in 2019-20. Caitlyn Hibner is poised to make a strong comeback after sitting out all of 2018-19 with an injury. Karly Murphy will also be gracing the floor once again for the Phoenix after suffering an injury in the season opener last year, causing her to miss the remainder of the season. Murphy impressed as a redshirt freshman in 2017-18, averaging 7.4 PPG and 4.1 RPG in league play.

OPENING ON THE ROAD    
Wednesday's matchup with Central Michigan marks the first time Green Bay will open the regular season on the road since 2014-15, when the Phoenix traveled to Marquette and claimed a 94-66 victory.

SEASON OPENING SUCCESS    
Although Green Bay found itself on the losing end of last year's season opener with Northwestern, falling 57-55, the Phoenix has traditionally opened the season strong. GB has won 11 of the past 12 season openers, seven of which victories have come on the road.

PHOENIX FRESH FACES    
Green Bay welcomes three true-freshman to the 2019-20 roster, all from the state of Wisconsin. Cassie Schiltz resides from the local town of Luxemburg, where she was a three-time first team all-conference selection and the Northeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Year. Julia Hartwig joins the Phoenix from Janesville where she was also a 2x first team all-conference selection and an all-state honoree in 2017-18.  Brooklyn Blackburn found her way to the squad from Milwaukee and also earned first team all-conference honors in high school.

WINNING TRADITION    
Green Bay secured its 42nd-consecutive winning season last year and trails only Tennessee (45) for the longest active streak in the nation. During that span, GB also pieced together a stretch of 20-straight conference titles and made 18 NCAA Tournament appearances. The Phoenix also secured its 20th-consecutive 20-plus win season in 2018-19, a streak dating back to 1999-00.

WINNING....SINCE THE BEGINNING    
The Green Bay women's basketball team is one of three Division I women's basketball programs that has had a winning record every year since the NCAA took over administration of women's college athletics in the fall of 1981. Essentially, the Phoenix has never had a losing record in the NCAA era. The only two other programs to accomplish the same feat are Tennessee and Georgia.

HL CHAMPIONSHIP SUCCESS    
Last season Green Bay made its 10th-consecutive Horizon League Tournament Championship game and 21st overall. The Phoenix owns a 16-5 all-time record in the tournament's biggest game and has won 16 of the last 22 titles.

DEFENSIVE DOMINATION    
Green Bay has received national acclaim year after year for its defensive prowess, with the most recent campaign being no exception. In 2018-19, the Phoenix ranked fourth in the country in scoring defense - allowing a lowly 51.9 points per game. GB also ranked sixth in the nation in field-goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 33.9% from the field.

RETURNING OFFENSE    
Green Bay returns over 60% of its offense from last season, highlighted by leading scorer Frankie Wurtz who averaged 10.5 PPG. Not included in that number are Karly Murphy and Caitlyn Hibner, who both missed the majority of last year due to injury. 

COURT AND CLASSROOM COMBO    
The Green Bay women's basketball team was named to the WBCA Academic Top 25 for the fifth-straight season this summer, coming in at No. 8 with a 3.64 team GPA. The Phoenix was dubbed champions of the classroom in 2016-17 and 2017-18 after owning the highest GPA in the nation through those two seasons.

SUCCESS FROM LONG RANGE    
Green Bay enjoyed success from long range on both ends of the floor last season, owning  league-best marks in three-point field goal percentage (34.1%) and three-point field goal percentage defense (27.3%).

BORSETH BREAKING BARRIERS    
Head coach Kevin Borseth has enjoyed numerous successes throughout his coaching career. Last season, Borseth surpassed 700 total wins and 400 wins with Green Bay. His 713 career wins ranks 19th all-time among DI women's basketball coaches. He also ranks inside the nation's top 10 in career wins among active DI coaches. Due in large part to Borseth's leadership, Green Bay is also featured in the nation's top 10 for winningest college basketball programs in the country. The Phoenix is one of only 12 teams to reach more than 1,000 wins, doing so in only 46 seasons.

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