GREEN BAY, Wis. – A big second half propelled the Green Bay men's basketball team to its third consecutive victory, defeating Robert Morris 78-61 on New Year's Eve.
Noah Reynolds followed up his 39-point performance Friday night with 27 points in Sunday's contest to help the Phoenix improve to 8-7 overall and 3-1 in Horizon League play. Reynolds has now scored 20+ points six times this season.
Other Phoenix in double figures were Foster Wonders (13 points), Elijah Jones (12 points), and Marcus Hall (10 points).
TJ Wainwright paced the Colonials (4-11, 0-1 HL) with 18 points. Stephaun Walker chipped in with 14 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Robert Morris started the game strong, taking a 12-5 lead after Alvaro Folgueiras splashed a triple. Foster Wonders answered back moments later with a three, tying the game at 12 with 11:52 left before halftime. Marcus Hall and Ryan Wade drilled triples after that, capping a 13-0 GB run to give the team an 18-12 advantage. RMU chipped away, staying within striking distance. Walker made a layup and then hit one of two free throws, bringing the Colonials within three at 24-21 with 7:17 left before the break. Robert Morris continued to keep the pressure on GB and eventually tied the game at 32 after a Chris Ford made layup. Walker added a layup of his own less than a minute before halftime to give RMU a 34-32 lead at the half. Green Bay went cold as the half wound down, making just one field goal in the final 4:05 of the first half.
The start of the second half was the exact opposite for the Phoenix, as the team hit seven of their first 11 shots in the frame and constructed a 50-40 lead with 13:10 left in the game. RMU tried to cut back into the lead after a TJ Wainwright jumper made the score 50-43, but that was as close as the game would get. The Green & White used a flurry of jumpers over the next five minutes to push the lead to as large as 19 at 70-51. GB held on the rest of the way to triumph 78-61.
GAME NOTES
» Green Bay lit it up from beyond the arc, knocking down nine treys in the game.
» The Green Bay bench made an impact by adding 26 points.
» Foster Wonders and Marcus Hall came off the bench to score 13 and 10 points, respectively.
» GB shot over 50.0 percent from the floor for the second game in a row.
» Green Bay moved to 6-1 at home and 3-0 at home in HL play.
» Green Bay got a game-high six rebounds from Elijah Jones.
» GB won the battle in the paint, outscoring RMU 36-26.
» The Phoenix offense is trending up, averaging 81.6 points in their last three games.
» The 17-point win is the largest for the Phoenix this season against a Division I opponent.
COMING UP
The Phoenix will return to action this Thursday at Detroit Mercy before battling Oakland next Saturday. Green Bay's next home game is January 14 at the Resch Center against Cleveland State.
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