GREEN BAY, Wis. — GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) --- The Green Bay women's basketball team will conclude its stretch of three straight matchups with nationally ranked teams this Saturday when the No. 16 DePaul Blue Demons come to the Kress Events Center on December 7th at 1 p.m.
 
CATCH THE ACTION: Saturday, December 7 – 1 p.m. // Green Bay, Wis. (Kress Events Center)
 
Matchup: #16 DePaul at Green Bay
 
Buy Tickets: Purchase Here
 
Where to Listen: The Fan
 
Where to Watch: ESPN3
 
Game Notes: Green Bay | DePaul
 
Game Promotion: Youth Team Night / DigiCopy Team Poster Giveaway
 
Game Program: Mackenzie Wolf
 
Scouting the Blue Demons: DePaul was chosen as the Big East preseason favorite to win the conference and had two players (Chante Stonewall and Kelly Campbell) chosen to the preseason All-Big East Team. Doug Bruno enters his 34^th season as coach of the Blue Devils and has his alma mater competing nationally year in and year out. DePaul has reached the NCAA Tournament 16 seasons in a row and have started the 2019-2020 season on the right foot with a 6-1 record. The Blue Devils have won five out of the last six against the Phoenix, the last win for Green Bay coming in 2009. Senior Chante Stonewall is currently fourth in the Big East in scoring at 18.4 per game and also chips in 6.3 rebounds per contest. Sophomore guard Sonya Morris is also top 10 in the Big East in scoring at 16.4 points per game and has cemented herself as a very quality number two option for one of the best offenses in the nation. The Blue Devils lead the nation in assists per game at 23.1.
 
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.
 
HIBNER HAPPENING
Caitlyn Hibner posted career highs in consecutive weekends in the early part of the season, scoring 26 pts and securing 11 rebounds to notch a pair of career-best marks at Chicago State. Most recently, the redshirt junior scored 30 points against #18 Syracuse, a performance which helped garner her second #HLWBB Player of the Week award this season.
 
ACCOLADES APLENTY
Four 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.
 
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 last weekend, marking the 11th victory as a program over a ranked opponent and the fourth in three years. Green Bay has a chance to win back-to-back games over a ranked opponent for the first time in program history on Saturday (#16 DePaul) and secure two wins in the same season over a top 25 team for only the third.
 
HAPPENING IN THREES
This is the second time in program history the Phoenix has play three-consecutive games against teams ranked inside the nation's top 25. The last time Green Bay took the hardwood against three-straight ranked programs, the Phoenix emerged with a 2-1 mark, picking up victories over #24 Arizona State (W, 61-48) and #23 Marquette (W, 63-55), while falling to #7 Mississippi State (L, 46-67) in 2017-18.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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. The Phoenix still has matchups with#10 Marist, #12 South Dakota State and #17 Wright State.
 
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 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 (Dec. 7), Maine (Dec. 13) and South Dakota State (Dec. 21) all punching their tickets in 2019.
 
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.
 
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 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.
 
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