GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) --- Playing its second-straight game at home, but this time at the Kress Center on campus, Green Bay will play host to Concordia-Chicago on Wednesday night in nonconference play. The game will serve as GB's final home nonconference game, before wrapping up non league play altogether on Saturday (Dec. 21) at Northern Illinois.
CATCH THE ACTION:Â Wednesday, December 18, 7 p.m. CT // KRESS CENTER
Matchup:Â Green Bay Phoenix (3-8) vs. Concordia-Chicago Cougars (3-4)
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Game Promotion: N/A
Giveaways/Specials:Â Bud Light Night ($2 16 oz. Bud Lights)
Where to Watch: ESPN3
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Game Notes:Â
Green Bay | Â
Concordia-Chicago
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LAST GAME'S STARTERS
LAST TIME OUT (Evansville 72, Green Bay 62; December 14)
- Green Bay fell behind by as many as 19 points before using a 13-0 run in the second half to make things interesting on Saturday night in the first game at the Resch Center this season, but couldn't come all the way back and fell 72-62. The Phoenix (3-8) shot just 27.3 percent (9-33) in the first half and was led once again by freshman Amari Davis with 17 points, his 10th game in double-figures this season.
Evansville (8-3) led 24-8 out of the gate and hit 10 3-pointers in the game, leading 44-29 at halftime. GB did outscore Purple Aces 33-28 in the second half and shot 40.7 percent (11-27), getting a double-double from Manny Patterson with 10 points and 10 rebounds. PJ Pipes (13 points) and Kameron Hankerson (13 points) also finished in double-figures, with Pipes hitting 3 3-pointers.
SERIES HISTORY
- This is the first-ever meeting between the Cougars and the Phoenix. The game will serve as an exhibition game for Concordia.
ABOUT CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO (NCAA D3, Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference)
FEELS LIKE THE FOURTH TIME
-  Making it three-straight weeks and a fourth time overall this season, Green Bay freshman guard Amari Davis has been named the Horizon League Freshman of the Week, the league office announced on Monday. Davis continues to lead the way offensively for the Phoenix, earning his fourth weekly award in the six weeks of the season. Since the award began in the 2013-14 season, Davis is the first Phoenix player to earn the award multiple times in a season, and is just the 10th player in the history of the award to win four times. The weekly award started in the 2013-14 season.
Davis' week: Amari Davis continued his torrid pace to start a collegiate career, scoring 25 points at UCF before dumping another 17 points at home against Evansville. Davis led the Phoenix in scoring in both games, and went a sizzling 18-for-29 (62 percent) from the field in the two contests. He went 12-for-14 in a competitive loss at UCF alone, starting the game 7-for-7. The left-handed guard grabbed six rebounds against Evansville, averaging 5.0 for the week. In the two games against quality opponents, Davis averaged 21.0 PPG and has now scored in double-figures in 10 out of 11 games this year. He continues to lead the Phoenix in scoring with 16.4 PPG, ranking in the top 10 nationally among freshmen and standing 4th in points per game in the Horizon League.
FACING NON-D1
- Like most teams at the mid-major level, Green Bay faces a pair of non-division 1 teams this season, having played UW-Stout earlier this season. Bringing in the Cougars gives Green Bay a much-needed home game, because the team has played seven out of 11 games so far this season on the road. While the game doesn't count for Concordia, it does count in the win-loss column for the Phoenix. GB beat UW-Stout 115-64 earlier this season at the Kress Center, tying the program record for most points in a Division I game. There have been a total of 9 games in the Horizon League played against non-D1 teams, with the HL expectedly winning them all.
PATTERSON POWER
- Junior Manny Patterson had his best game statistically of the season against Evansville, scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the season. Both totals in that game marked season highs for Patterson, who also played a season-high 27 minutes in the game. He went a career-best 6-for-6 at the free throw line, and finished 2-for-3 from the field. Patterson will look to continue his strong play inside, especially with the current loss of starting forward Josh McNair. McNair is expected to be out for a month, recovering from an injury.
FIRST NET RANKING
- The first NCAA NET ranking was released this week, with Green Bay checking in at 242. What stands out is the strength of opponents the team has played so far, having played 5 of 11 games against teams in the top two quadrants. A total of 17 of the remaining 19 games against Division I teams will come in Quadrants 3 and 4. GB has played its toughest schedule to date, and the most high-majors in the history of the program with five. After the Phoenix plays at Wright State and NKU to open league play, the final 17 games will be in Quadrant 3 and 4. WSU and NKU fall in Quadrant 2. For more on how the NET works, you can find more information here.
LEAGUE LEADERS
Where Green Bay stacks up among the 10 Horizon League teams:
- 2nd in scoring offense (78.5 PPG)
- 3rd in field goal percentage (45.3%)
- 1st in 3-point field goal percentage (35.1%)
- 3rd in turnover margin (2.36-1)
- 1st in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.21-1)
- 1st in assists per game (16.3 APG)
- 2nd in steals (7.9 SPG)
THAT'S AMARI
- Green Bay and head coach Linc Darner boast what appears to be the best freshman in the Horizon League in Amari Davis. Davis leads the team in scoring with 16.4 PPG and ranks fourth in the HL, and in the top 10 of all freshmen in the NCAA. The Ohio native has scored in double-figures in 10 out of 11 games this season and was recently named Horizon League Freshman of the Week for a fourth time. He is also shooting 58.5 percent on the season, and is coming off a week where he averaged 21.0 PPG. Davis has gotten off to the best start, statistically speaking, by any freshman in program history save for all-time great Tony Bennett. Bennett averaged 19.1 PPG as a freshman and scored 516 points in 27 games. Davis is currently on pace to score 524 points, if the team plays its scheduled minimum 32 (31 regular season, 1 tournament). Long way to go, but through 11 games this season, Davis has been the story of the league.
SHOOTING THE JAYQUAN
- Senior JayQuan McCloud continues to be a reliable and consistent scoring option for the Phoenix, having scored in double-figures in all 10 games this year. He ranks 9th in the HL and scoring and is second on the team with 15.0 PPG. THe Preseason All-Horizon League member leads the Phoenix in rebounding with 4.6 RPG and assists with 43 this season. He's made 24 of 27 free throw attempts and has hit a team-high 26 3-pointers.
FOUR SCORE
- Through nine games this season, Green Bay has four players averaging in double-figures led by Amari Davis and JayQuan McCloud, who are both averaging over 14 points per game. PJ Pipes is averaging a career-best 11.3 PPG and Kameron Hankerson is at 10.5 PPG, earning the start in the last game.
SCORING IN RECORDS
- Thanks to the 115-point outburst against UW-Stout in its home-opener, GB now has six of the top 15 highest scoring games in program history under head coach Linc Darner. The 115 points are tied for the most in the Division 1 era, the same total scored by Darner's Phoenix against Detroit Mercy in January 2016.
CONNECTING WITH KENPOM
- After three games in the books, Green Bay has played at the 17th-fastest pace among all NCAA Division I teams, averaging 75.2 possessions per 40 minutes. In the four seasons under Linc Darner, here is where Green Bay has ranked in adjusted tempo:
- 2018-19: 13th
- 2017-18: 23rd
- 2016-17: 7th
- 2015-16: 6th
PIPES IT UP
- Junior PJ Pipes is in the midst of the best individual season of his career, averaging 11.1 PPG while shooting 49.3 percent from the field. Pipes averages 7.0 for his career, and is nearly 5 points ahead of that career average for this season. He has started in 9 of his team's 10 games and is second on the team with 18 made 3-pointers. Pipes is also second on the team in minutes played and second in assists with 28 this season.                   Â
HORIZON HAPPY
- With its 10 wins last season, GB has now won 10 or more games in League play in seven of the last eight seasons, and the third time in four seasons under Darner. The team has finished fourth or higher in the HL in six out of the last seven seasons as well, earning a postseason appearance in each of those six seasons. The HL preseason poll has GB tabbed fifth, behind Wright State, NKU, UIC and Oakland.
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