GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) --- With the teams jumbled in the current Horizon League standings in the No. 3 through No. 7 spot, Green Bay will make the Cleveland State and Youngstown State road swing this coming weekend in Ohio. The Phoenix sits at 4-3 in the HL, tied for third with YSU and Milwaukee, making this weekend an important one for seeding. Both contests will be streamed live on ESPN3 and ESPN+ and can also be heard on WDUZ The Fan 107.5 FM with Brian Kuklinski courtside on the call.
CATCH THE ACTION: Thursday, January 23, 6 p.m. CT // Cleveland, Ohio (Wolstein Center)
Matchup #1: Green Bay Phoenix (9-11, 4-3 HL) at Cleveland State Vikings (7-13, 3-4 HL)
Where to Watch: ESPN3
Where to Follow Stats: www.csuvikings.com
Where to Listen: The Fan WDUZ 107.5 FM
Game Notes: Green Bay | Cleveland State
CATCH THE ACTION: Saturday, January 25, 1 p.m. CT // Youngstown, Ohio (Beeghly Center)
Matchup #2: Green Bay Phoenix (9-11, 4-3 HL) at Youngstown State Penguins (11-9, 4-3 HL)
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Where to Follow Stats: www.ysupenguins.com
Where to Listen: The Fan WDUZ 107.5 FM
Game Notes: Green Bay | Youngstown State
For Live in-game updates, follow the Phoenix on social media: Twitter - @gbphoenixmbb, Instagram - @gbphoenixmbb
LAST GAME'S STARTERS
LAST TIME OUT (@Green Bay 83, Detroit Mercy 80; January 18)
- JayQuan McCloud recorded a double-double and Amari Davis added 19 points to help Green Bay win its second-straight game, holding off Detroit Mercy at the Resch Center 83-80 on Saturday afternoon. The Phoenix (9-11, 4-3 HL) needed a stop on the final possession, forcing the visiting Titans (4-16, 2-5 HL) to miss a pair of 3-pointers in the closing seconds.
- GB, which capped off its 5-game homestand with a nice sweep of the Metro Detroit schools, controlled most of the second half, scoring 47 points and going 7-for-12 from 3 in the final 20 minutes alone. The Titans actually held the 38-36 advantage at halftime, and after the teams went back and forth early on, it was a PJ Pipes 3-pointer with 14:08 left that gave GB the lead for good. The Phoenix led for the final 14 minutes and beat Detroit Mercy for the fifth time in the last six meetings.
- It was the defensive effort against the Horizon League's leading scorer Antoine Davis that proved to be the difference, with Pipes, Kameron Hankerson and a total team effort holding the sophomore to a 4-for-21 shooting clip and 1-for-9 from beyond the arc. Davis did finish with 17 points, but 8 of those came at the free throw line and he had to work for every point.
- Senior JayQuan McCloud finished three rebounds shy of a triple-double, finishing with 10 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds. Fellow-senior Cody Schwartz poured in 15 on four made 3-pointers, also grabbing 5 rebounds. GB went 12-for-27 from long range as a team, while holding Detroit Mercy to 7-for-24. Pipes hit 3 triples as well, spending his most energy guarding Davis, but still finished with 11 points and 4 assists.
- With GB leading 83-80 with the ball and 9 seconds remaining, McCloud was called for a travel on what appeared to be contact. The Titans took over and missed subsequent 3-pointers by Davis and Brad Calipari, taking one attempt at 4 seconds and the other as the horn sounded. GB's defense came up with the needed stops and the home win.
SERIES HISTORY
- CLEVELAND STATE: The series edge belongs to Green Bay with a 49-30 margin, with CSU leading 19-18 in Cleveland. It's been all Phoenix of late though, winners in 8 of the last 9 games of the series.
- YOUNGSTOWN STATE: GB has dominated the all-time series against the Penguins, leading 34-12 overall and 11-10 in Ohio. Over the last eight meetings however, the two teams are split 4-4. GB has won just 1 of its last 4 in Youngstown.
ABOUT GREEN BAY...
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
Where Green Bay stacks up among the 10 Horizon League teams, and in the NCAA in some stats:
- 1st in assists per game (17.5 APG) **Ranks 8th in the NCAA
- 1st in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.42-1) **Ranks 11th in the NCAA
- 1st in scoring offense (81.5 PPG) **Ranks 12th in the NCAA
- 1st in field goal percentage (45.9%)
- 1st in 3-point field goal percentage (37.6%) **Ranks 28th in the NCAA
- 1st in turnover margin (2.90-1)
- 2nd in free throw percentage (74.4%)
- 3rd in steals (7.65 SPG)
AWARD NO. 6
- Green Bay freshman Amari Davis has owned the Freshman of the Week award, earning the recognition for a sixth time this season. He is now just the sixth player all-time to win the award six times in a single season, joining some greats to have played in the Horizon League including Dikembe Dixson, Antoine Davis, Loudon Love, Kay Felder and Jalen Hayes. Davis led the Phoenix to a pair of victories this past week at home, averaging 20.5 PPG in the two games against Oakland and Detroit Mercy. Davis went 17-for-32 in the two games, shooting 53.1 percent on the week and playing 32 minutes in each contest. The left-handed freshman went 7-for-8 at the free throw line, had 7 rebound and 8 assists in those wins as well. He ranks third in the Horizon League in scoring with 16.7 PPG and leads the team in that category, and is also averaging 18.0 PPG in Horizon League games alone.
SEEKING SEPARATION
- A quick glance at the Horizon League standings and one can quickly see the Green Bay-Milwaukee at Cleveland State-Youngstown State weekend series will have a huge impact on the table. This weekend marks the conclusion of the midweek point of the league season, with YSU, MKE and GB all currently sitting at 4-3 and tied for third place. Wright State leads the way at 7-1 with NKU at 6-2, and the two teams meeting this weekend. If GB can steal one on the road, it will give them a game in hand against either the Vikings or Penguins. GB will finish the regular season with YSU and CSU at home, in the final weekend of league play before the Horizon League Tournament begins its new format. A tiebreaker could be the difference between a home and road game in the First Round.
VICTORY OVER THE VIKINGS
- The Phoenix has had the Vikings number of late, winning eight of the last nine games in the series and three-straight overall. Under head coach Linc Darner, Green Bay has gone 8-1 against Cleveland State, his best overall record against any team from the Horizon League. GB's only defeat under Darner came in 2018, when the Phoenix fell by one at 80-79, with a chance to win it on the final possession. The last three games GB has won by an average of 13.3 points per game, winning last year 82-65 at the Wolstein Center. GB's final regular season game will come against Cleveland State as well on Feb. 29.
FRESHMAN PHENOM
- Amari Davis has been on a tear during his freshman campaign for the Phoenix this season. The guard is currently averaging 16.7 PPG and has compiled 333 total points on the season. To put this into perspective, his PPG average currently sits fourth all-time for a freshman in program history and he's only 40 points away from moving into the top five all-time for total points scored by a freshman. Virginia head coach and Green Bay great Tony Bennett is top for both of these categories for the Phoenix, with Bennett averaging 19.1 PPG and scoring a total of 516 points during his freshman campaign while playing for his father, Hall of Fame coach Dick Bennett.
McCLOUD DISTRIBUTING
- JayQuan McCloud has been the difference maker for Green Bay in finding the open man offensively. McCloud not only leads the Phoenix but the Horizon League in total-assists with 98. Additionally his 4.9 APG sits him second overall in the conference, only behind UIC's Tarkus Ferguson who is averaging 5.0 per game. The best stat out of all of these though is the senior guard is top of the league in assist/turnover ratio at 2.0. Lastly, he is on pace to crack Green Bay's top five in total-assists for a player during their season senior. If McCloud were to do so, he would pass Tony Bennett who compiled 153 assists during his senior year.
THE ROAD AHEAD
- Playing five-straight home games means that GB will have to return the favor on the road as well, and that brutal stretch is about to begin. Seven of the next nine games for GB will be on the road, starting in Ohio this coming weekend. The Phoenix will host the top two teams in the HL next weekend in NKU and WSU, but then will venture back on the road for its next five games with a visit down I-43 to Milwaukee sandwhiched between the IUPUI-UIC trip, and Detroit Mercy-Oakland trek. GB will finish with its last two games at home, but its play on the road will have the impact on where GB finishes in the standings. The Phoenix has already played 10 games on the road this season, so its been challenged already, with five of those games against high major teams. GB is 3-2 on the road against mid-major teams, and owns a road win at NKU already.
FEARSOME FOURSOME
- Green Bay has four players averaging in double-figures this season, with all four playing the guard position. Amari Davis (16.7 PPG), JayQuan McCloud (14.9 PPG), PJ Pipes (11.2 PPG) and Kameron Hankerson (10.0 PPG) are all averaging over 10 points per game to lead the way offensively. Davis and McCloud rank in the Top 10 of the Horizon League, and Cody Schwartz is the leading scoring forward at 8.2 PPG.
CONNECTING WITH KENPOM
- After three games in the books, Green Bay has played at the 16th-fastest pace among all NCAA Division I teams, averaging 74.0 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
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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