NORMAL, Ill. – The Green Bay women's basketball team will head south for a Sunday showdown against the Illinois State Redbirds. GB, winners of three in a row, are back in the Mid-Major Top 25 for the first time since November 21 and are ranked no. 25. Illinois State is also in the Mid-Major Top 25, coming in at no. 12.
Sunday, December 18 – Normal, Ill. – CEFCU Arena
Green Bay (6-3, 1-1 HL) vs. Illinois State (6-3, 0-0 MVC)
2:00 PM
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The Phoenix is 4-2 all-time against the Redbirds. Green Bay won the first four contests but has dropped the last two. GB is 2-1 when facing Illinois State on the road, and Sunday's contest will mark the first visit to Normal since November 15, 2007, when the Phoenix lost 79-70.
ABOUT THE REDBIRDS
Head coach Kristen Gillespie is in her sixth season with the Redbirds, posting a 93-64 record heading into Sunday's game. Overall, Gillespie is 198-129 and has reached one decade as a head coach.
Paige Robinson will be a handful for the Green Bay defense, leading the Redbirds in scoring at 20.8 points per game. DeAnna Wilson leads Illinois State in rebounds (5.6 RPG) and steals (1.2 SPG). Illinois State excels from three point range, shooting 35.6-percent from deep.
LAST MATCHUP
The Phoenix defeated Wisconsin 70-60 on Wednesday at the Kress Center. Green Bay had three players score in double figures, led by Maddy Schreiber, who poured in a career-high 19 points . Bailey Butler added 15 points and six rebounds, while Sydney Levy had 13 points. A stingy Phoenix defensive effort helped the team build a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter. With the gap sitting at ten with just over a minute to go, the Badgers turned to fouling, and GB sunk nine of twelve free throw attempts to ice the game.
WIN, WIN, WIN
Kevin Borseth has an impressive 773-306 record in 36 seasons as a head coach. He is 461-137 in 19 seasons with the Phoenix and garnered his 770th career win against Northeastern on November 25. Borseth has coached at Michigan Tech, Michigan, and Green Bay. The Phoenix has punched a ticket to 13 NCAA appearances under Borseth.
SHINING SCHREIBER
Sophomore Maddy Schreiber is having a strong sophomore season. Schreiber is averaging 9.8 points per contest in 26.4 minutes per game. She is 38-of-71 from the floor (53.5-percent) and 30-of-46 inside the arc (65.2-percent). Maddy set career-highs in points (19), minutes (35), and three-point field goals attempted (7) in the win against Wisconsin.
JAS IT UP
Jasmine Kondrakiewicz has provided Green Bay a spark off the bench this season, averaging 6.3 points in just 13.4 minutes per game. Kondrakiewicz tied her career high in points (18) against North Dakota State on December 10. The Milwaukee native is a solid 19-of-45 from the field (42.4-percent) and scorching 8-of-13 from downtown (61.5-percent). Kondrakiewicz has been just as good from the charity stripe, knocking down 11-of-12 free throws.
NAT ATTACK
Natalie McNeal chipped in off the bench against Wisconsin, scoring six points, grabbing three rebounds, and shooting 3-of-7 from the field in 17 minutes. All marked season highs with Green Bay. McNeal has appeared in all nine games this season, her first with the Phoenix.
KEEPIN' IT LOCAL
Kevin Borseth has garnered a plethora of talent from the state of Wisconsin. This season, 13 of the 15 players come from inside the state border. Only Jenna Guyer (Circle Pines, Minn.) and Tatum Koenig (West Branch, Iowa) are not from Wisconsin. Two of this past offseason's transfers returned to their cheesehead heritage (Natalie McNeal, a Germantown native, and Brehna Evans, from De Pere).
SHOOT YOUR SHOT
Senior guard Sydney Levy has been nearly unstoppable this season, posting elite numbers from the field. Levy is 35-of-72 (48.6-percent) overall while splashing 20-of-44 triples (45.5-percent). Levy has played 24 or more minutes in the last four games, including 34 and 30 minutes in the last two games, respectively while scoring in double figures in three of the past four. She has also shot no less than 42 percent in all but two games. Levy's dominance has helped put her in head coach Kevin Borseth's lineup.
FREE IS FOR ME
GB ranks 1st in the nation with a remarkable 85.1-percent free throw percentage. Four Phoenix who have attempted at least 10 free throws are shooting 83 percent or better:
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Green Bay will begin a three-game homestand on December 21 when they host Chicago State. Oakland will visit Titletown on December 29, and Detroit Mercy will come to the Kress Center on December 31. Game promotions include Bud Light Night against Chicago State, Military Appreciation Night against Oakland, and a New Year's Eve Bas against Detroit Mercy.
NEW PHOENIX FACES
Green Bay welcomes three new members for the 2022-23 season.
TRANSFERS
Tatum Koenig (5-7, G | Bradley)
Natalie McNeal (5-8, G | St. Louis)
Brehna Evans (5-8, G | St. Cloud State)
PRESEASON #HLWBB POLL
Pl. Team (1st-place votes) – Pts.
1. Youngstown State (8) - 118
2. Green Bay (2) - 106
3. Cleveland State (1) - 102
4. Northern Kentucky - 88
5. Milwaukee - 75
6. IUPUI - 67
7. Oakland - 47
8. Purdue Fort Wayne - 44
9. Robert Morris - 42
10. Wright State - 26
11. Detroit Mercy – 11
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