GREEN BAY, Wis. – It was perhaps the game of the year in the Horizon League on Saturday afternoon at the Kress Center, as the Green Bay women's basketball team defeated Purdue Fort Wayne 68-63 in overtime. It was the first overtime game of the season for the Green and White.
With the win, the Phoenix secured the number one seed in the 2025 Barbasol Horizon League Championships. The Horizon League announced the complete bracket this afternoon.
It is Green Bay's 23rd Horizon League regular season championship. Eight of the last 10 Horizon League tournament champions have also won the regular season championship.
GB played in front of a raucous crowd of 3,531, the highest attended Green Bay women's game since late February 2020. The Phoenix (26-5, 19-1 HL) was paced by a sensational performance from Natalie McNeal, who recorded her 12th career double-double (27 points, 13 rebounds; both were team-highs). McNeal shot 10-of-19 from the field and was 7-for-7 from the charity stripe. She resurrected the Phoenix when GB was down late in the fourth quarter. Jasmine Kondrakiewicz reached double figures (10 points), while Bailey Butler and Maddy Schreiber chipped in with nine points.
Purdue Fort Wayne (23-7, 18-2 HL) was well-balanced for most of the game, getting a team-high 18 points from Amellia Bromenschenkel. Jordan Reid added 13, Lauren Ross had 10, and Audra Emmerson tacked on another eight.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Green Bay had trouble finding its footing in the first quarter, falling behind 12-2 midway through the opening period. The game reversed course in the final 4:59 of the frame, with Green Bay ripping off a 13-2 run capped by a Butler layup, and GB led 15-14 going into the second quarter. It was a back-and-forth battle through the rest of the half. The largest lead in the entire period was three (GB 25-22 at 3:42), and it was a one-point game for all but a couple of minutes in the frame. Kondrakiewicz made a layup, and Green Bay's defense stood tall at the end of the half, carrying a 30-29 lead into the locker room.
Out of intermission, it remained close for a while until Emmerson made a mid-range jumper to put PFW out in front by seven, leading 48-41 with 1:58 to go in the third quarter. The Phoenix finished the last couple of minutes strong, getting buckets from Butler and Schreiber to get back within five. Green Bay carried momentum into what would be a wild final period. Both squads kept trading buckets, but a pair of Reid free throws and a Tia Morgan three extended PFW's lead to 57-51 with 4:38 left in regulation. Both teams went scoreless until McNeal started to take over at the end of the game, first knocking down two free throws. On the next four possessions, Green Bay would buckle down and get two defensive stops while McNeal made a couple of floating jump shots to knot the game at 57-57 with 33 seconds remaining. Purdue Fort Wayne got a last-second shot off, but Reid clanked it off the rim, sending the contest into overtime.
Cassie Schiltz splashed a triple right out of the gate, sending the crowd into a frenzy as the Phoenix took a 60-57 lead in overtime. Butler and Kondrakiewicz followed with layups, forcing a PFW timeout as GB led 65-59 with 1:19 left in OT. From there, the Mastodons would foul, but a free throw from Butler and another two free chances by Schiltz iced the game. Green Bay stopped PFW on the last possession of the game, and the Phoenix won the regular season championship with a 68-63 nail-biting victory.
GAME NOTES
» Green Bay had a 40-37 edge on the boards in the win.
» GB's defense forced 15 turnovers, turning it into 20 points.
» The Phoenix tallied seven blocks as a team.
» PFW's bench had 16 points, while GB had 13.
» Green Bay annihilated the Mastodons in the paint, racking up 44 points to PFW's 20.
COMING UP
The Phoenix will look forward to its quarterfinal matchup next Thursday, March 6 at 7 PM at the Kress Center. Green Bay's opponent won't be determined until the first round slate – scheduled for Tuesday night – is complete. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets for exciting postseason action!
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