GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) --- The Green Bay women's basketball team closes its nonconference season on Saturday afternoon at the Kress Center, welcoming the South Dakota State Jackrabbits for a 4 p.m. tip-off.
 
CATCH THE ACTION: Saturday, December 21 - 4 p.m. // Green Bay, Wis. (Kress Center)

Game Promotions: Free GB Trucker Hats to the first 125 fans in attendance 

Game Program: Julia Hartwig
 
Where to Watch: ESPN+ vs South Dakota State
 
Where to listen: The Fan

Game Notes: Green Bay  |  South Dakota State

Scouting the Jackrabbits: The Jackrabbits (7-6), under the direction of head coach Aaron Johnston, just concluded a three-game homestand as it fell to Marquette (65-58) on Wednesday. Myah Selland is averaging a team-best 13.8 points and 3.0 assists per game. She is shooting 55.8 percent (48-of-86) from the field. Selland turned in season-bests of seven assists in the Jacks' win over Notre Dame and 20 points against FGCU. An All-Summit League Preseason First Team honoree, the junior averaged 12.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while ranking second on the team in assists (108) and blocked shots (18) last season.

SEEING DOUBLE
Redshirt senior Frankie Wurtz has been leading the team in more ways than one, serving as one of only three seniors on the roster on top of leading the team in scoring. Wurtz has notched two double-doubles this season and scored in double figures nine times, marks which lead both categories. She has also served as the single-game leading scorer six times and single-game steals leader seven, the highest of any player on the roster. Wurtz ranks third in the Horizon League in PPG with a 16.0 average.
 
PARTY LIKE IT'S 1999
The last time Green Bay started out with a 5-6 record was in Kevin Borseth's second season with the Phoenix in 1999-00. The Phoenix had already hoisted the first of what would be 20-consecutive conference championships in the spring of 1999, and would go on to win again in the spring of 2000. The Phoenix finished the 1999-00 campaign with a 21-9 overall record paired with a 12-2 mark in league play.
 
LOOKING AHEAD TO LEAGUE PLAY 
Green Bay opens the league season at home against Northern Kentucky and Wright State next weekend, with the Norse and Raiders currently owning 5-5 and 5-4 records, respectively. Cleveland State boasts the best record in the conference at 9-1 and has pieced together a nine-game winning streak with league play approaching. IUPUI sits atop the conference standings in RPI at 82, followed closely by the Phoenix at 94 and Raiders at 97 to represent the only teams in the top 100 from the HL.
 
BALL CONTROL
Green Bay is excellent at taking care of the basketball on gameday and currently ranks 17th in the country in turnovers per game, surrendering only 12.5 per game. The current program record for turnovers allowed in a single season by the Phoenix is 375 in 30 games, which also comes to a 12.5 per game average.
 
KEYS TO SUCCESS
When Green Bay has reached 70 points or more this season, the Phoenix owns an unblemished 5-0 record. GB is also an impressive 4-1 on the year when outrebounding its opponent. The Phoenix ranks inside the nation's top 50 in field-goal percentage, a nice position to be in for a team who owns a 5-1 record when posting a better percentage from the floor than its opposition.
 
MIGHTY MID-MAJORS
Green Bay has taken the floor against two of the top-ranked mid-major programs in the country to start off 2019-20, defeating No. 12 Central Michigan 111-105 on the road in double overtime and falling at home to No. 1 South Dakota, 66-60. Most recently, the Phoenix fell to No. 13 Marist, 72-60. Saturday's matchup with #13 South Dakota State will be the final nonconference pairing with a team inside the mid-major top 25. Wright State is currently No. 21 and Cleveland State claims the last spot at No. 25.
 
TOURNAMENT TESTS
Green Bay has been tested early and often this season, as its non-conference slate features nine opponents who advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season, with Central Michigan (W, 111-105), South Dakota (L, 60-66)), Missouri (W, 72-64), Marquette (L, 47-60), Mississippi State (L, 58-83), Syracuse (W, 79-73), DePaul (L, 65-76), Maine (L,60-61) and South Dakota State (Dec. 21) all punching their tickets in 2019.
 
RANKING VICTORIES
Any win is a good win, but there's no feeling like taking down a top 25 team. Most recently, the Phoenix defeated #18 Syracuse in the Greater Victoria Invitational on Nov. 30, marking the 11th victory as a program over a ranked opponent and the fourth in three years.
 
NEW YEAR, NEW LOOK?
Green Bay has made a name for itself as a perennial defensive powerhouse, causing headaches for opposing offenses on a regular basis. Last season, the Phoenix ranked fourth in the country in scoring defense and allowed only 51.9 points per game. The year prior to that, GB led the entire nation and surrendered a lowly 47.4 PPG. In Green Bay's first pairing, Central Michigan scored 105 points and became only the second team in history to surpass the century mark against the formidable Phoenix defense. GB still managed to escape with the win, pouring in 111 points of its own which marked the second-highest total in program history. The Phoenix surpassed the century mark once again in a win over Chicago State, marking the first time in program history GB has scored 100 points multiple times in the same season.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
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.
 
STAYING STRONG AGAINST THE SEC
Only two programs from the SEC have taken the floor on Carol's Court within the friendly confines of the Kress Center, and Green Bay has emerged victorious in both meetings. Most recently, the Phoenix took down Mizzou, 72-64, and moved to 4-1 all-time against the Tigers. Prior to that pairing, GB played host to Vanderbilt on Nov. 21, 2015 and defeated the Commodores 58-56.
 
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%).
 
ACCOLADES APLENTY
Six weeks into the season and Green Bay has earned three Horizon League Player of the Week awards, with Karly Murphy opening the season with the honor followed by Caitlin Hibner twice in the next three weeks.
 
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 718 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. Borseth is only seven victories from 500 all-time DI wins.
 
BASKETBALL ABROAD
Green Bay has fared pretty well in tournaments outside of the contiguous United States, posting an all-time record of 14-6. In matchups outside the reach of the United States, Green Bay's all-time record is 9-3. Most recently, Green Bay participated in the Greater Victoria Invitational and claimed third place while posting a record of 2-1 with wins over Bowling Green and #18 Syracuse.
 
SISTER, SISTER
Redshirt seniors Madison and Mackenzie Wolf make Green Bay one of only 22 teams in DI women's basketball that has a pair of sisters on its roster and one of only 13 with a set of twins.
 
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