CEDAR FALLS, Ia. – A fast start wasn't enough in the regular season opener for the Green Bay women's basketball team, falling to Northern Iowa 78-67 Monday evening.
The Phoenix (0-1, 0-0 HL) was paced by Natalie McNeal, who impressed with 14 points, while Jenna Guyer added 10 more off the bench. UNI was led by Maya McDermott and Emerson Green, who each racked up 16 points.
Coming into the contest, each squad had been picked to win their conference and were both ranked in the top 10 of the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Preseason Poll.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Green Bay dominated the first quarter, opening the contest on a 9-3 run. Cassie Schiltz and Jasmine Kondrakiewicz drilled the first two baskets of the game, and after Kondrakiewicz grabbed a defensive rebound, Schiltz capped the run with a triple, giving the Phoenix a six-point advantage with 6:17 left in the opening frame. GB would keep their distance from the Panthers, slowly extending the lead towards the end of the quarter. Maddy Schreiber put a stamp on the first quarter with a tremendous sequence, beginning with a block on McDermott. Moments later, she grabbed an offensive rebound and made a layup, giving GB a 22-13 lead with 52 seconds left in the quarter. Schreiber had four points, the block, and two rebounds in the final 1:39 of the frame.
GB led by no fewer than seven points for the first 3:44 of the second quarter, but UNI found a rhythm on offense and never looked back. The Panthers went on an 8-0 run, highlighted by threes from McDermott and Kayba Laube, cutting GB's lead to one. Northern Iowa went on another run leading up to halftime, eventually taking the lead on a layup from Shateah Wetering with 1:39 remaining in the half. Laube would tack on another layup right before the halftime buzzer, and the Phoenix entered intermission down 38-33.
The Phoenix would tighten the screws on UNI as the third quarter wound down, cutting the Panthers lead to 54-51 after Guyer finished a fastbreak with a layup. On the ensuing offensive possession, Caelan Givens had a nifty pass to Natalie Andersen, who executed a backdoor cut to the rim for an easy layup, making it a one-point game. Callie Genke added a pair of free throws at the end of the frame, and the Phoenix entered the fourth quarter down 58-55.
UNI stiffened up on defense to begin the final frame, surrendering no points to Green Bay in the first 4:19 of the quarter. The Panthers went on a 6-0 in that span, extending the lead to 64-55 before Schreiber made a layup to stop the bleeding. However, Northern Iowa would continue to pull away after that, eventually boasting a 15-point advantage after McDermott buried a three and Grace Boffeli made a layup. Green Bay's strong effort wasn't enough in the 78-67 loss.
GAME NOTES
» Green Bay was just 2-21 (9.5 percent) from beyond the arc.
» Of the 10 Phoenix that played, seven recorded 20 or more minutes.
» Green Bay edged out UNI on the boards, 37-33. Four Phoenix had five or more rebounds.
» GB's defense forced 14 turnovers.
COMING UP
The Phoenix will turn their attention to the home opener this Saturday against Illinois State. Tipoff is scheduled for noon Catch the game on ESPN+ or listen live here.
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