GREEN BAY, Wis. - The Green Bay women's basketball team returns home this weekend after three weeks looking to extend their 11-game win streak. They have a tall task versus Youngstown State Friday night before clashing with Robert Morris on Sunday.
Friday, January 20 – Green Bay, Wis. – KRESS CENTER
Youngstown State (12-5, 6-2 HL) vs. Green Bay (14-3, 7-1 HL)
7:00 PM | Tickets
Bud Light Night
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Sunday, January 22 – Green Bay, Wis. – KRESS CENTER
Robert Morris vs. Green Bay
1:00 PM | Tickets
Festival Foods Family Day | Alumni Day
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Green Bay is 42-5 against Youngstown State and 2-0 versus Robert Morris. GB has dominated the series against YSU at home, going 22-2 versus the Penguins. The Phoenix last hosted YSU on February 3, 2022, when Youngstown State forced double-overtime, but GB survived with a 70-69 win. Meanwhile, Robert Morris is relatively new to the Horizon League after joining the conference in 2020. Green Bay has played two contests against the Colonials, going 2-0, including a 57-41 win at the Kress Center on February 5 last year.
HORIZON LEAGUE STANDINGS
ABOUT THE PENGUINS
John Barnes has reached a decade at the helm of the Youngstown State program, posting a 163-124 record entering Friday's game. Barnes, a 1995 graduate of Michigan Tech, brings his squad to Titletown one game back of the Phoenix in the Horizon League standings.
Lilly Ritz, one of the best players in the conference, gets it done in multiple categories. She averages a double-double, pairing 17.2 points per contest with 10.6 rebounds per game. Saturday will be a homecoming for Jen Wendler, who grew up about two hours from the Kress Center in Owen, Wisconsin.
ABOUT THE COLONIALS
Charlie Buscaglia is in his 7th season as head coach of Robert Morris. His father Sal was the previous head coach at RMU. While the former had great success to start his tenure, the Colonials have had a challenging few seasons. Robert Morris enters their Friday matchup at Milwaukee with an 8-9 record.
Like Youngstown State, the Colonials present a dynamic player in Phoenix Gedeon. A sophomore from Quebec, the forward paces RMU with 13.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. She ranks 7th in the Horizon League in scoring.
LAST MATCHUP
Solid offense paved the way for an 11th consecutive win on January 14 when Green Bay defeated Cleveland State 82-65. GB had four players score in double figures, led by Natalie McNeal's 16 points, while Julia Hartwig tallied a career-high 14 points and notched her first-career double-double with 10 rebounds. Gabriella Smith was the lone Viking in double figures with 10 points. Cleveland State shot just 30.8-percent from the floor. 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.
COUNT ON CASSIE
Cassie Schiltz had her best game of the 2022-23 campaign in Green Bay's matchup at Northern Kentucky on Jan. 7. She tied her career-high in points (18) while shooting 6-of-10 from the field. She has grabbed five or more rebounds in four of the past six games. Schiltz racked up a career-high 11 rebounds on Dec. 18 at Illinois State.
LETHAL LEVY
Sydney Levy is having a remarkable season. In addition to being on pace for setting career-highs in rebounds and assists, the fifth-year senior currently has career-highs in:
- field-goal percentage (69-of-154, 44.8 percent)
- free throw percentage (13-of-14, 92.9 percent)
- points per contest (10.8 PPG)
SENSATIONAL SCHREIBER
Sophomore Forward Maddy Schreiber has come into her own this season, averaging the second most points on the team at 9.9. She has started all 17 of Green Bay's games this season and is playing 24.4 minutes per contest. Schreiber shoots well from anywhere on the floor and is particularly dangerous inside the arc, where she is 58-of-92 (63-percent). Maddy is also reliable from the charity stripe, where she is 13-of-15 (86.7 percent). She was tabbed to the All-Freshman Team last season.
OFFENSE ON POINT
Green Bay's offense has improved from their 2021-22 campaign. Going into Thursday's matchup versus Youngstown State, the Phoenix averages 69.3 points per contest, compared to 61.9 PPG last season. GB has scored 70 or more points 10 times this season, already surpassing their total of nine times last year. GB has shot better than their opponent in 14 games and is 14-1 when leading at the half, creating a recipe for success leading to 11 W's in a row.
DEFENSE ON LOCK
GB is suffocating opposing offenses this season, allowing just 53.1 points per contest. The Phoenix ranks 13th in the nation and first in the Horizon League in scoring defense. GB has held opponents to less than 60 points 11 times, accumulating 10 wins in those games. GB surrendered 32 points against Purdue Fort Wayne on Jan. 12, the fewest since giving up just 30 against Cleveland State in the 2019 HL Quarterfinal matchup. It also marked the second time GB gave up less than 35 points this season. Last year, GB ranked 23rd in scoring defense.
BAILEY BUCKETS
Reigning Horizon League Freshman of the Year Bailey Butler has been heating up recently. She reached double figures in the past four games. During that span, she has averaged:
- 11.3 points
- 48.4 percent from the field (15-of-31)
- 52.6 percent from downtown (10-of-19)
- 4.3 rebound
- 28.5 minutes
THE GREAT GENKE
Callie Genke has been exceptional off the bench. Averaging 18.5 minutes per game, Genke tallies five points and 2.5 rebounds per contest. Since starting the new year at Wright State, the Wrightstown native is shooting 58.3 percent (7-of-12), including 4-of-6 from downtown. Genke grabbed a career-high seven rebounds in the 60-32 blowout victory at Purdue Fort Wayne on January 12.
ALL I DO IS WIN, WIN, WIN
Green Bay's win streak is impressive in more than just one way. It is the program's first 10-plus game winning streak since early last year (1/8/22 to 2/19/22) when their margin of victory was +15.6. During GB's current 11-game win streak, the margin of victory is a whopping +22.6. The Phoenix has won by 17 or more in eight of their 11 consecutive wins.
WIN FROM WITHIN
Thirteen of GB's 15 players come from inside the state border. Only Jenna Guyer (Circle Pines, Minn.) and Tatum Koenig (West Branch, Iowa) are not from Wisconsin. Natalie McNeal, a Germantown native, and Brehna Evans, from De Pere, returned to their cheesehead heritage after transferring to Green Bay this past offseason.
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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