Women's Basketball 3/6/2023 7:15:00 PM

Championship Bound! Green Bay Set to Take on No. 2 Cleveland State in #HLWBB Championship Game

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - It all comes down to this! The stage is set for the 2023 Barbasol Horizon League Championship between the Green Bay women's basketball team and the Cleveland State Vikings. The Phoenix has a chance to capture their 20th Horizon League Tournament title and their first since the 2018 Horizon League Championship.

Tuesday, March 7 - Indianapolis, Ind. - INDIANA FARMERS COLISEUM
No. 2 Cleveland State (29-4) vs. No.1 Green Bay (27-4)
11:00 AM | Tickets
Watch the game at The Bar on Lime Kiln
Follow the action: Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Tournament Information | #HLWBB Bracket | History

Green Bay is a dominant 70-9 all-time against Cleveland State, and 2-0 this season. Green Bay first beat the Vikings on Jan. 14 at Cleveland State 82-65 and then again on Feb. 23, 64-49. Even though the Vikings have only beaten the Phoenix nine times, three have come in the last six matchups between the two teams.

ABOUT THE VIKINGS
The Vikings spent the entire year neck-and-neck at the top of the Horizon League standings with Green Bay before eventually securing the two seed. They're led by fifth-year head coach Chris Kielsmeier, who has three 20-win seasons in his five years at the helm of the program.

CSU is led by the Horizon League's leading scorer, Destiny Leo, who averages 17.7 points per game. Leo is extremely efficient, shooting 42.7 percent from the floor and 37.9 percent from three. Forward Brittni Moore is also a threat, averaging 12.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.

Cleveland State is 29-4 on the year and made it to the #HLWBB Championship after a 62-52 Quarterfinal win over Milwaukee and a thrilling 63-60 overtime win over Northern Kentucky in the semifinals. Leo led the way for the Vikings with 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting.

LAST MATCHUP
Green Bay secured its spot in the #HLWBB Championship with the semifinal win over No. 6 Purdue Fort Wayne earlier today. The Mastodons built an early 11-point lead, but the Phoenix stormed back at the end of the second quarter en route to a 69-65 win.

Cassie Schiltz led the way with 17 points and seven rebounds while Sydney Levy poured in 14 points.

BIG GAME ON THE BIG STAGE
Tuesday's Championship Game will be Green Bay's first nationally-televised game since GB was in the 2019 Horizon League Championship Game against IUPUI. The Phoenix is 2-3 in their last five nationally televised contests.

AMAZING ACCOLADES
On February 27, the Horizon League announced its All-League award winners, and Green Bay had several individuals honored. Head coach Kevin Borseth was tabbed Coach of the Year for the ninth time, while Sydney Levy was named All-League First Team, and Bailey Butler was named All-League Second Team and All-Defense.

MID-MAJOR MADNESS
Green Bay has been in the Mid-Major top 25 all season long, and on February 28, they climbed into the top 10, coming in at no. 7. Horizon League foe Cleveland State is no. 10 and is the only other Horizon League school to be in the top 25 or receiving votes.

BORSETH IN THE BOOKS
Head coach Kevin Borseth is inching closer to 800 career wins. Borseth tallied career win number 793 with the win over Purdue Fort Wayne in the Horizon League Semifinal matchup today. He is 8th among active coaches in total career wins, recording 481 of them in 20 seasons with Green Bay. Borseth climbed to 20th all-time in career wins on February 3 after GB defeated Detroit Mercy 56-47.

GB VS. CSU IN THE TOURNAMENT
Green Bay will have to overcome a familiar foe in the Horizon League Tournament to lift another Horizon League Championship trophy. The Phoenix is 6-4 all-time in the Horizon League tournament against the Vikings, including two losses in the past two years. CSU downed GB in the Quarterfinals in 2020-21 and the Semifinals in 2021-22.

BLOCK PARTY
Jasmine Kondrakiewicz put herself in the record books during today's semifinal contest, becoming the first Green Bay women's basketball player to record five or more blocks in a single game since Nicole Soulis recorded six against Detroit Mercy on February 18, 2006. Her five blocks also marked a career-high. Kondrakiewicz paces Green Bay with 24 total blocks on the season, an average of 0.8 BPG.

TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK
The Phoenix has taken great care of the ball this season. GB ranks fourth in the country in turnovers per game (11.6). Horizon League foe Northern Kentucky isn't far behind with 12.3 TPG, ranking 15th in the nation.

SYD THE KID
Senior Sydney Levy has been lights out for the Phoenix this season. She has reached double figures 19 times this season, more than the past two years combined. The Appleton North High School graduate has also paced GB in scoring in 11 games while notching her first career double-double on December 29 versus Oakland.

COUNT ON CASSIE
Cassie Schiltz has solidified herself as a leader for the Phoenix this season. The Luxemburg-Casco graduate has appeared in 30 of GB's 31 games, starting all of the games she's appeared in. She's tied for third with Bailey Butler in scoring on the squad at 8.9 points per contest. Schiltz is also the team's leading rebounder, pulling in 5.3 per game. She has racked up a team-leading 132 defensive rebounds.

MONEY MCNEAL
Natalie McNeal has been a centerpiece of Green Bay's success going into tournament action. Over her last eight games, she reached double figures three times and averaged 9.1 points per game. McNeal has flirted with a double-double in the past two games, recording nine points and 10 rebounds in the win over Wright State on March 2 before tallying 10 points and nine rebounds today.

BRING ON BAILEY
Reigning Horizon League Freshman of the Year Bailey Butler has been on top of her game down the stretch. Since Green Bay's first game of 2023 at Wright State, Butler has reached double figures in 12 of GB's 18 games, including four in a row from 1/5/23 to 1/14/23. She has been a mainstay on the hardwood, racking up 32 or more minutes in 13 of GB's last 18 games, including nine in a row from January 20 to February 17.

JASMANIAN DEVIL
Kondrakiewicz has proven to be an all-around threat on the offensive end for the Phoenix. She has appeared in all 21 games while starting 20. She chips in with 8.1 points per game on just 17.9 minutes per contest. A consistent shooter, 'Jas' is shooting 46.5 percent from the field (92-of-198) and 36.0 percent from deep (18-of-50).

DYNAMITE DEFENSE
Green Bay boasts the no. 8 scoring defense in the country heading into the championship game. It is easily the best in the Horizon League. Cleveland State is no. 2 in the conference in scoring defense and 31st in the nation. GB has suffocated opponents for fewer than 60 points in 22 of 31 contests, helping create the Horizon League's second-best margin of victory at +14.8, only trailing Cleveland state's +17.7. The Phoenix also boasts the hl's no. 1 opponent field goal percentage (33.6 percent) and no. 2 three-point shooting percentage (26.0 percent).

WIN FROM WITHIN
13 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.

NEW PHOENIX FACES
Green Bay welcomed three newcomers to the team last offseason.

Transfers
Tatum Koenig (5-7, G | Bradley)
Natalie McNeal (5-8, G | St. Louis)
Brehna Evans (5-8, G | St.Cloud State)

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Players Mentioned

#22 Bailey Butler: G; 5' 7"; Sophomore

#21 Jasmine Kondrakiewicz: F; 6' 1"; Sophomore

#24 Sydney Levy: G; 5' 8"; Senior

#1 Cassie Schiltz: G; 5' 11"; Redshirt Sophomore

#11 Natalie McNeal: G; 5' 8"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#22 Bailey Butler
: 5' 7"; Sophomore
: G

#21 Jasmine Kondrakiewicz
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: F

#24 Sydney Levy
: 5' 8"; Senior
: G

#1 Cassie Schiltz
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Sophomore
: G

#11 Natalie McNeal
: 5' 8"; Junior
: G