GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) --- The Green Bay men's basketball team played within the confines of the Kress Center for the first time in the 2020-21 campaign on Saturday afternoon, battling Eastern Illinois in a double overtime thriller. EIU managed to edge GB, 93-91, but the young Phoenix team showed promise of what's to come.

Neither team owned an advantage of more than eight points in a pairing which saw a total of 12 lead changes.

Amari Davis led Green Bay in scoring with 20 points on an 8-of-15 effort from the field. Davis also added another triple to his tally after sinking the first of his career at No. 4 Wisconsin earlier in the week.

The Phoenix found itself trailing with less than a minute remaining in regulation, when redshirt freshman Japannah Kellogg III drew a pivotal foul and earned a trip to the free throw line. Kellogg, who was seeing action in only the third game of his young career, did not let the opportunity slip by and sank both free throws to tie things at 76-76.

The final attempts from both teams in regulation were off the mark as things headed to overtime at the Kress Center.

As back-and-forth action continued, Green Bay found itself trailing 85-83 when head coach Will Ryan called for a timeout. Coming out of the break, GB was able to get the ball to Davis who drove to the rim and scored to force another overtime period.

With only seconds remaining in the second overtime, Green Bay held a one-point lead at 91-90 as the Panthers' Josiah Wallace headed to the line for two free throws.

Wallace converted on his first attempt to tie the game, but the second free throw missed the mark as EIU's Sammy Friday IV corralled the rebound and dished to Wallace for another look. The shot missed long, but Eastern Illinois' George Dixon was in position for a tip-in layup to seal a 93-91 victory. 

PJ Pipes (18 points), Josh Jefferson (16 points), Kellogg (11 points) and Ryan Claflin (10 points) joined Davis in double figures for Green Bay. The Phoenix shot 35-of-69 from the field and an impressive 12-of-25 from beyond the arc.

Wallace led all scorers with 27 points as Friday finished with 14 for the Panthers.

Green Bay now shifts its focus to Tuesday's matchup with Marquette at the Fiserv Forum. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m. with the game airing on FS1.



###
 
For the latest and most up-to-date information on Green Bay Athletics and Green Bay Men's Basketball, please visit GreenBayPhoenix.com.

Follow us on Twitter: @GBPhoenix and @GBPhoenixMBB

Like Green Bay Phoenix Athletics and Green Bay Phoenix Men's Basketball on Facebook.

---GreenBayPhoenix.com---