CLEVELAND, Ohio – A solid offensive performance paved the way for an 11th consecutive win for the Green Bay women's basketball team Saturday afternoon, defeating the Cleveland State Vikings 82-65.
Green Bay (14-3, 7-1 HL) had four players score in double figures. Natalie McNeal led with 16 points, while Julia Hartwig tallied a career-high 14 points. Hartwig also notched her first-career double-double with 10 rebounds. Cassie Schiltz chipped in with 14 points and five assists.
Gabriella Smith was the lone Viking in double figures with 10 points. Cleveland State shot just 30.8 percent from the floor.
HOW IT HAPPENED
It was a defensive slugfest to start the contest, with both squads combining for seven points in the first 4:12. GB eventually got going, taking a double-digit lead at 21-11 with 1:34 left in the opening frame. Jasmine Kondrakiewicz filled the stat sheet in the first 10 minutes, recording a rebound, assist, and four points.
The Phoenix led by double figures for all but 20 seconds in the second quarter, with the largest lead reaching 17. McNeal scored her first points of the game in the first quarter but started to make her presence felt in the second frame. She scored five points, grabbed one rebound, and tallied a steal. Her effort helped extend Green Bay's lead to 15 at 39-24 going into halftime.
Cleveland State tried to keep it close in the third quarter, but GB remained hot on offense and outscored CSU 24-15. The Phoenix went on a surge in the final minutes of the third quarter. Hartwig scored four points, part of a 12-4 run to end the stanza. GB led by 20 or more for the final 2:19 of the frame and took a 63-39 lead into the fourth quarter.
Green Bay surrendered 26 points in the fourth quarter but remained in cruise control, never letting CSU get to within 17 points. The Phoenix went 11-of-15 from the charity stripe down the stretch to help ice the game and win 82-65.
GAME NOTES
» The Phoenix shot 47.8 long-range attempts.
» Green Bay never trailed after taking a 7-5 lead in the first quarter.
» GB shared the ball well, recording an assist on 70 percent of made baskets.
» Green Bay's bench totaled 37 points.
» The Phoenix had a 42-34 edge on the boards in the win.
» Schiltz, Kondrakiewicz, and Hartwig each had a block.
COMING UP
Green Bay will begin a four-game homestand next Friday against Youngstown State. Click here to view the schedule and promotions, and follow this link to purchase tickets.
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