Women's Basketball 12/9/2020 10:11:00 AM

Green Bay Opens League Play with In-State Rival Milwaukee on Saturday, Sunday

^{GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) ---}^{Horizon League play gets underway this weekend for the Green Bay women's basketball team, as the Phoenix welcomes the Panthers to the Kress Center for back-to-back games on Saturday, Sunday. Both contests can be streamed LIVE on ESPN3.}

^{GAME INFORMATION - Saturday

vs Milwaukee // December 12, 2020

Kress Center // Tipoff at 1PM

Streamed on ESPN3

No in-person attendance

GAME INFORMATION - Sunday

vs Milwaukee // December 13, 2020

Kress Center // Tipoff at 1PM

Streamed on ESPN3

No in-person attendance

SCOUTING MILWAUKEE

The Panthers pieced together three-straight wins to open the season, defeating Ball State, Bradley and Marquette before falling at Bowling Green, 64-62. Milwaukee is led by Sydney Staver, who averages 13.5 PPG in only 21.0 MPG. In the league's preseason poll, MKE was slated to finish seventh out of the 12 teams.

PAIRINGS WITH THE PANTHERS

Green Bay has dominated the series with in-state rival Milwaukee, owning an impressive 72-20 all-time record against the team from the south. The Phoenix has been even more dominant at home, working to a 41-5 mark against the Panthers.

MID-MAJOR POLL MATCHUP

Friday and Saturday's games pit two of the best mid-major programs in the country against one another, as GB ranked 19th and MKE 22nd in the most updated poll. They make up two of three league schools currently appearing in the poll, as IUPUI ranks ninth. The Phoenix won its previous pairing with a team in the mid-major poll, defeating Drake, 69-61, who currently ranks 10th.

STEALING THE ROCK

Although it came in a losing effort, the Green Bay women's basketball team tallied a season-high 17 steals and forced 25 Bison turnovers in game one at North Dakota State. Meghan Pingel led the way with four steals, followed closely by freshmen Jasmine Kondrakiewicz and Ellie Foster who tallied three apiece.

FRESH PHOENIX FACES

The Green Bay women's basketball team welcomes five new faces to the roster this season, four freshmen (Caelan Givens, Ellie Foster, Kendall Renard and Jasmine Kondrakiewicz) and one transfer, Sydney Levy. A total of six members of the squad are seeing the floor for the first time at the collegiate level as Cassie Schiltz, Julia Hartwig and Brooklyn Blackburn are seeing minutes after redshirting last season.

LEAGUE LEADERS

Caitlyn Hibner is tied for second in the Horizon League in scoring with 19.3 PPG. First is UIC's Jaida McCloud and locked in second with Hibner is reigning HL Player of the Year, Macee Williams.

FANTASTIC FRESHMAN

Kondrakiewicz made her first career start for Green Bay to open the season vs Drake, marking the first time since the 2013-14 season a true freshman graced the starting lineup for the Phoenix. Kondrakiewicz took advantage of the opportunity and scored 15 points in 20 minutes while shooting 50% (5-10) from the field. She also pulled down two rebounds, dished out one assist, logged one steal and recorded a block in her debut.

PRESEASON PICKS

The Green Bay women's basketball team is slated to finish second in the Horizon League, as defending champion IUPUI was dubbed preseason favorite with all 12 first-place votes. It marks the first time in over a decade the Phoenix women were not selected by the conference as preseason favorites. The last time Green Bay wasn't favored to win the league was in the 2007-08 season, when the team finished 17-1 in conference play and 26-6 overall.

HIBNER HEATING UP

Hibner has logged the fifth double-double of her career and secured three-straight games of double-digit scoring to start the season. She has surpassed 20 points twice and led the Phoenix in scoring in all three games.

HL HONORS SWEEP

The first Horizon League women's basketball player of the week awards of the 2020-21 season went to Green Bay. Caitlyn Hibner and Jasmine Kondrakiewicz swept the first installment of the weekly awards, with Hibner earning player of the week and Kondrakiewicz taking home freshman of the week.

HIBNER HOPS ON SECOND TEAM

Caitlyn Hibner is the lone honoree for Green Bay ahead of the 2020-21 campaign, earning a second-team nod from the conference. Hibner finished as a third-team member a season ago after averaging 9.6 PPG and collecting 7.4 RPG.

WINNING TRADITION

Green Bay secured its 43rd-consecutive winning season last year and trails only Tennessee (46) 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.

WELCOME TO THE LEAGUE

The Horizon League added two institutions to the conference beginning this season in RMU and Purdue Fort Wayne. The colonials are coming off a NEC regular season title and are led by head coach Charlie Buscaglia. Head coach Niecee Nelson is at the helm for the mastodons.

###

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

Follow us on Twitter: @GBPhoenix and @GBPhoenixWBB

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

---GreenBayPhoenix.com---}

Print Friendly Version