UWGB

Horizon League Basketball Preview: 08-09

CHN — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:53:52 -0500

Conference Rank: 16th

10 year average: 15th

All-Horizon Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Josh Mayo	UIC	Sr
G	Cedric Jackson	Cleveland St	Sr
G	Vaughn Duggins	Wright St	Jr
F	J'Nathan Bullock	Cleveland St	Sr
F	Matt Howard	Butler	So
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
Mid-Major All-Americans J'Nathan Bullock Matt Howard		Points: Josh Mayo 17.1 Rebounds: Scott VanderMeer 7.5 Assists: Cedric Jackson 4.9

Horizon League Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

53	Cleveland St	Horizon	1	NCAA
60	Wright State	Horizon	2	NIT
65	Butler**	Horizon	3	NIT
87	Valparaiso	Horizon	4
118	Green Bay	Horizon	5
154	UIC	Horizon	6
186	Loyola Ill	Horizon	7
194	Detroit	Horizon	8
220	Milwaukee	Horizon	9
262	Youngstown St	Horizon	10

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the HL?

Other OVC Content

Conference Media Poll

Cleveland State Tops HL Media Poll

Other

Rise & Fall: Horizon League

Daily Conference Poll: Who Will Win the Horizon League?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:16:36 -0400

State of '08: Wisconsin

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:26:22 -0400

Duke or Carolina? BC or UMASS? Gonzaga or Washington.. or Washington State? What is the best program in each state? While there's not much competition in Hawaii.. there are great debates to be had in loaded regions like California, North Carolina, and Texas. The State of '08 is a ranking of every program in every state.. based mostly on recent success (the last five years) mixed in with subjective factors such as conference prestige, historical success, and overall program direction.

For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction & state index.

WISCONSIN

WISCONSIN - Wisconsin has made the last 10 NCAA Tournaments going back to the tenure of Dick Bennett. Four of those trips yielded a spot in the Sweet Sixteen or better (including the Final Four back in 2000). In that same period, Wisconsin has never finished below .500 in the Big Ten, and all 7 of Bo Ryan's teams have finished 4th or better in conference play. Plus, the last 6 teams have finished 25th or better in the RPI

MARQUETTE - Since the Dwyane Wade induced Final Four run of 2003, the last five teams have managed to win just one NCAA Tournament game (UWM has won more tourney games in that time). In the last decade, 2003 was also the only time Marquette finished in the RPI Top 20, and no team since then has finished higher than 4th in the Big East.

WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE - Rob Jeter never had a realistic chance of maintaining the ridiculous level of success set by Bruce Pearl. Since making the Tourney three times between 2003 & 2006, the program has come back to Earth with a pair of sub-.500 seasons. This year's team should also be a non-factor in Horizon League play.

WISCONSIN-GREEN BAY - Since the great early to mid 90's run under Dick Bennett, UWGB has basically been a middling Horizon squad. The past five teams have all been solid, topping 200th in the RPI, but only the 2007 squad did any damage in the HL tournament. This year's team also projects to finish in the middle of the pack.

And that concludes our month-long 50 state college basketball tour. Check out the State of '08 index page for links to all the state rankings, and a list of the top dogs in each state. As always, thanks for your input and taking time out to read CHN's content!

Previous: Washington

State of '08: The Introduction (& State list/links)

2008-09 Green Bay Phoenix Preview: #117

Joel Welser — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:10:48 -0400

Green Bay Phoenix

Overall Rank: #117

Conference Rank: #5 Horizon

2007-08: 15-15, 9-9, 4^th

2007-08 postseason: none

It seems like Wisconsin Green Bay and Coach Tod Kowalczyk are always one year away from great things. However, a few bad breaks here and there and the Phoenix end the year disappointed. The 2007-2008 season was no different and the 2008 off-season has the expectations rising once again. Will this be the year the team finally breaks through and puts together a consistent winning campaign? The talent is there to do so, but it was last year too…and the year before that and the year before that.

Who’s Out:

Yet, with all five starters return, maybe this really will be the year. Tevah Morris earned a few starts during his senior campaign, but averaged less than ten minutes per game. Guards D’Angalo Jackson and Uriel Segura are transferring after seeing limited action last season.

Who’s In:

The newcomers are talented enough to provide some depth off the bench and increase the overall toughness on the roster. Jesse Childs has the experience after playing two years at Mesa Community College. The 6-3 combo guard will either be a solid backup point guard or a two guard who can also handle the ball and create shots for himself. Either way he will provide some quality depth on the perimeter. So will Brent Eaton. The 6-5 swingman is a superb shooter and will immediately be a sharpshooter off the bench. It might take some time for the Middlebury, Indiana product to adjust to the level of competition, not to mention the switch from Yoder cheese to Wisconsin cheese, but the rims are still ten feet high in Amish country and Eaton will certainly knock down his fair share of long balls as a freshman. Chop Tang’s versatility, toughness and neat name will make him a fan favorite. The 6-7 forward, who spent two years at the junior college level, can battle in the paint and step outside and hit the jumper.

Who to Watch:

Mike Schachtner might not be the most intimidating 6-9 forward around, but he gets the job done. The sharpshooter knocked down over 45 percent of his shots from beyond the arc last season and led the team with 15.8 points per game. He is not a great rebounder, but he will use his size to help out on the glass. Most of the rebounding will be done by fellow forwards Terry Evans and Randy Berry. Evans is only 6-5, but he makes up for his size with his hustle. Not only will Evans put up some decent numbers in the scoring column and grab plenty of rebounds, but he is also a superb defender and led the team in steals and blocks during the 2007-2008 campaign. Berry is the more traditional big man who will hang out in the paint and use his 6-9, 225 pound frame to clear space in the paint. Ryan Tillema might be listed as a guard, but at 6-8, he does not look like one. Tillema and Evans started on the wings last year and should again this year. That size is a huge advantage for the Phoenix. Tillema is the most prolific shooter on the team and defending him is a huge problem for most shorter wings.

Final Projection:

The biggest problem last year was with the turnovers. Rahmon Fletcher proved to be a solid scorer and distributor during his freshman campaign, but with that experience he has to keep the turnovers down and the team under control. If that happens, UWGB will be a force in the Horizon League. If it does not, the Phoenix will once again be another year away from big things.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

Rahmon Fletcher, Sophomore, Guard, 10.1 points per game

Ryan Tillema, Senior, Guard, 12.5 points per game

Terry Evans, Senior, Forward, 9.6 points per game

Mike Schachtner, Senior, Forward, 15.8 points per game

Randy Berry, Junior, Forward, 7.0 points per game

Complete Top 144 Ranking | 2008-09 Preview & Awards | Coach Interviews | Discuss the Preview

Turnarounds: 31 Teams to Watch For: Part Two

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 14 May 2008 13:56:40 -0400

With the off-season now upon us and the spring signing period well under way, this is a good opportunity to attempt to forecast some of the teams who could make the jump next season. Is there a team out there like this past season’s Drake Bulldogs, who went from ninth place to a dominating run through the Missouri Valley? Or how about Arizona State, a team that went from dead last in the Pac-10 to fifth place and could have the makings of a conference title run this season? With one pick for each conference, here are 31 teams you should keep an eye on next season. (Return to Part One.)

Big 12: Oklahoma State

2007-08 Record: 17-16 (7-9)

The Cowboys made some news during the Final Four, even though they weren’t playing in the event. Their desire for alum Bill Self to come back to Stillwater wasn’t hidden, but in the end the national champion coach decided that it was in his best interest to remain in Lawrence. Enter Travis Ford, who led UMass to back-to-back twenty win seasons and a spot in this season’s Postseason NIT title game. While there will be an adjustment period in the early going, the cupboard certainly isn’t bare with key contributors such as James Anderson, Byron Eaton and Obi Muonelo all coming back next season. This is a team that should make a run at an NCAA Tournament berth.

Big West: Pacific

2007-08 Record: 21-10 (11-5)

Not going out on a limb here with this pick, but I really like Bob Thomason’s Tigers to get back to the top of the Big West standings with seven seniors on the roster. No key contributors from 2007-08 were lost, which could make Pacific a popular choice in some circles to make some serious noise come March. Three players averaged double figures in scoring led by First Team All-Big West selection Steffan Johnson. Rising sophomore Terrell Smith was named to the conference’s All-Freshman Team, and Anthony Brown and Chad Troyer were both honorable mention All-Big West selections. All this coming back to Stockton makes the Tigers the early favorite to win the Big West…and maybe send some unsuspecting foe home come NCAA Tournament time.

Colonial: Northeastern

2007-08 Record: 14-17 (9-9)

Bill Coen didn’t have a lot of experience to work with last season, having just one senior (forward Mark Washington) on the roster. Matt Janning, a second-team all-conference selection, will lead a cast that will have another season of experience under their belts. Guard Chaisson Allen was named to the CAA’s All-Rookie Team, having led all conference newcomers in assists and steals. This is one of those teams that while everyone may predict them to be “one year away” from a title, they’ve got just enough to let everyone know that next year is now.

Conference USA: SMU

2007-08 Record: 10-20 (4-12)

A move up the ladder in Conference USA won’t be easy for Matt Doherty and his young program, as C-USA stands to be even better as a whole in 2008-09. But the commitment from the athletics department is certainly there, something that couldn’t always be said in years past. But the young talent is definitely taking notice of the changes, with Coach Doherty inking top guard prospect Paul McCoy just last week. The Mustangs will have to replace two of their top three scorers from last season in Jon Killen and Derrick Roberts, but big men Bamba Fall and Papa Dia will both be back next season. If some of the returnees can step into the holes left by the loss of Killen and Roberts, they’ve got a shot at moving into the middle of the Conference USA pack.

Horizon: Wisconsin-Green Bay

2007-08 Record: 15-15 (9-9)

With their top five scorers all slated to return (there was only one senior on the roster in 2007-08), the Phoenix could end up being one of the chief challengers to Butler in the Horizon League. Mike Schnachter led the team in scoring last season, and received help from the likes of Ryan Tillema and Rahmon Fletcher. Fletcher did a good job of running the point, and should only get better with a full season under his belt. Caught in a logjam in the middle of the Horizon standings last season, look for UWGB to make that move up in 2008-09.

Ivy: Harvard

2007-08 Record: 8-22 (3-11)

Tommy Amaker’s first season at Harvard was highlighted by their home win over his former employer Michigan. Unfortunately for the Crimson, they received more attention for an article on their recruiting in the New York Times than they did their play in within the league. But with a lot of Ancient Eight rivals (Cornell pretty much has everyone back) losing key contributors to graduation, maybe they can move up a couple of slots. Jeremy Lin, a second-team all-conference selection, will lead the charge in 2008-09, and he’ll be helped out by the likes of Pat Magnarelli, Evan Harris and Drew Housman. By no means is this a prediction that the Crimson will compete for the Ivy’s automatic bid (I think Cornell’s a safe bet on that), but they should be drastically improved.

MAAC: Manhattan

2007-08 Record: 12-19 (5-13)

I’m going with the Jaspers slightly ahead of Iona here, but I really like both to make move in the MAAC. Given the growth experienced in the MAAC Tournament by Barry Rohrssen’s club (a stronger commitment to defense and Devon Austin became more assertive as a team leader), and the fact that they return every key returnee leads me to believe that they can challenge for a spot in that 2-5 area of the standings. Antoine Pearson is one of the conference’s best point guards, and rising sophomores Chris Smith and Rashad Green should be ready to take the next step in their development. All that separates them from where they are and where they want to be is the consistency on the defensive end of the floor. And when that comes, look out.

MAC: Bowling Green

2007-08 Record: 13-17 (7-9 East Division)

While the change to Louis Orr didn’t mean an increase in overall wins (they won thirteen games in 2006-07 as well), it did mean four more league victories to get to 7-9. And while they’ll have to replace three of their top five scorers, led by Nate Miller, they should be improved with another year of seasoning under their belts. Chris Knight, who led the team in rebounding and was second in scoring, will be back next season along with guard Joe Jankubowski. Not too sure if the improvement will mean a jump in the MAC East standings, but the Falcons will be a better team next season.

Part One: ACC, Big East, Big Ten etc

Part Three tomorrow: MVC, MWC, Pac-10, etc

Wright State Beats UWGB 71-67

Bill Kintner — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 23:41:01 -0500

DAYTON – In the end, down by 15 points, Green Bay stopped playing traditional defense and just trapped on almost every possession.

The defensive gamble got them close but when the dust settled Wright State won their fourth game in a row beating Green Bay 71-67.

At the 7:45 mark Wright State (13-6, 6-4 HL) went up 59-44 on a 3-pointer by Cooper Land.

Then Green Bay’s Rahmon Fletcher went to work. In the next 70 seconds he made two layups and a 3-pointer to make it a 59-51 game.

A free throw by Wright State’s Vaughn Duggins and two free throws by N’gai Evans got the Raiders lead back up to 11 points at 62-51 the 5:23 mark.

From that point on it was “hold on Sally” for the Raiders.

Green Bay (11-9, 5-5 HL) got it down to five points three different times, each time the Raiders fought to get their lead back up and two seconds before the buzzer Green Bay’s Terry Evans tipped the ball in to close out the game at 71-67.

“They just trapped every other procession. They scraped well and to their credit they played well,” said a relieved Wright State coach Brad Brownell.

Wright State really wanted to put the Phoenix away and get a rare double-digit win tonight, but it ended up the usual close game the Raiders have played all year.

“We wanted to put it on them and they answer each time,” explained Vaughn Duggins.

In the first half the Raiders came out on fire hitting three 3-pointers to start the game off as they jumped to a 9-3 lead.

At the 14:11 mark Green Bay’s Terry Evans put in a layup to briefly give the Phoenix the lead 15-14.

The lead went back and forth with Green Bay getting no more than a two point lead until with 1:58 left, Land hit a layup to put Wright State up by five at 33-28.

Green Bay’s Evan’s made a layup with 58 seconds left to cut it to three points but he turned around and fouled Land who made both foul shots to put the Raiders up 35-30 at the half.

“I think more than anything what hurt us the most was our turnover. We had 16 on the road,” said Green Bay coach Ted Kowalczyk. “Give them credit I think Wright State played very well. We’re not getting production from our bench and they did.”

Wright State’s bench scored 18 points to just eight for the Phoenix bench.

Green Bay’s Fletcher led all scorers with 18 points while Evans and Mike Schachtner each put in 16 points for the Phoenix.

Duggins led the Raiders with 12 points and also of note; Evans scored 11 points in just 12 minutes.

Notes:

-During the game after a controversial call that had the home team fans all worked up, Dayton Daily News writer Marc Katz leaned over to Horizon League official’s observer Jim Van De Grift and said, “Are you writing this down.” Van De Grift said, “I didn’t see a thing.” For the record Vand De Grift is a former official.
-Kowalczyk said of the Horizon League, “It is one heck of a good league. It is my sixth year in the league and it is by far, by far, the best it has been.”
-Duggins agreed with Kowalczyk saying, “Top to bottom in our league there are not many gaps between the teams.”
-Duggins was sporting a new close-cropped haircut tonight. He said that he and Troy Tabler went to JD’s barbershop. JD is short for injured Raider John David Gardner. Duggins had two stripes cut into the side and he said that was to remember JD until he comes back from his injury.
-Green Bay leads the all-time series 18-20.
-Green Bay’s next game is at Detroit on Saturday at 3:05 p.m.
-Wright State’s next game is on Saturday against Milwaukee at 7 p.m.

Daily Poll: Who Will Win the Horizon?

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 09:59:44 -0400

2007-08 UWGB Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 09:02:16 -0400

Wisconsin Green Bay Phoenix

Overall Rank: #136

Conference Rank: #4 Horizon

2006-07: 18-15, 7-9, 4^th (t)

2006-07 postseason: none

Wisconsin Green Bay has rarely seen this much talent on one squad. Last year was disappointing and the future appears bright, but right now the Phoenix need to live up to their potential or the program might have to look in a different direction. Coach Tod Kowalczyk will run an uptempo game and finally has the depth to do it, but the departure of point guard Ryan Evanochko will leave the job of controlling tempo in unproven hands.

Who’s Out:

Evanochko was never simply a pass first point guard. Not only did he lead the team with 5.2 assists per game, but he also tallied a team high 15.0 points per contest and the backcourt will be looking for a new go-to-scorer. Fellow guard Ryan Werch will not be returning to the program for his senior campaign. The loss of Evanochko is huge, but the absence of Josh Lawrence and Aswan Minatee should raise some concern as well. Both forwards were part-time starters and the versatility of Lawrence will not be easily replaced.

Who’s In:

So who is the new point guard in Green Bay? Who knows, but there sure are a whole lot of choices. Rahmon Fletcher, a Missouri product, garnered a few all-state honors during his prep career and could be the starting point guard from day one. Yet, so could Edgar Segura. Segura is a crafty, pass first point guard and as long as he can walk the fine line between flashy and too flashy, the Saltillo, Mexico native will be in the mix for quality playing time as a freshman. Bryquis Perine could run the show, but the smooth shooting lefty will likely spend most of his time on the wings. As if that was not enough, D’Angalo Jackson will be eligible to play at the semester break. Jackson spent half a season down the Creighton depth chart before heading closer to home. Jackson is extremely quick and based on talent alone, should be the starting point guard when he is eligible to play. Eric VanCleave, a transfer from the school that made Craig T. Nelson a star, Minnesota State, and walk-on Nate Claassen will provide emergency depth to the suddenly deep backcourt. There are some big guy newcomers too. Pat Nelson, a 6-9 forward, earned seven starts as a freshman at Ball State and J.J. Henley, a strong 6-7 power forward, will add some bulk to the Phoenix front line.

Who to Watch:

Mike Schachtner is the team’s leading returning scorer, averaging 14.9 points per game last year. The 6-9 junior is an efficient shooter from behind the arc and will battle under the basket as well. His versatility makes him difficult to guard, which means the opposition will foul him quite a bit. And that is not a good idea as Schachtner shot 91.2 percent from the charity stripe last year. Terry Evans will do the dirty work. At just 6-5, Evans led the team in rebounding and will do so again in 2007-2008. Sophomore Randy Berry earned ten starts last season and combines the height of Schachtner with the toughness of Evans. It may be difficult to keep him on the bench for too long.

Final Projection:

Just about everybody on the team will take their shots from behind the arc, but besides Schachtner, guards Troy Cotton and Ryan Tillema are the main shooters on the team. Cotton, the starting shooting guard, connected on 46.2 percent of his shots from long range and is the likely candidate to take over the majority of the points left behind by Evanochko. Tillema, who is listed as a 6-8 guard but is really a forward that can shoot, is expected to increase his role on the team as an upperclassman. This is a young team and next year should be better, but as long as UWGB can find a point guard out of their long list of newcomers, they will compete for second place in the Horizon League.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

Rahmon Fletcher, Freshman, Guard, DNP last season

Troy Cotton, Sophomore, Guard, 7.6 points per game

Ryan Tillema, Junior, Guard, 8.6 points per game

Terry Evans, Junior, Forward, 7.7 points per game

Mike Schachtner, Junior, Forward, 14.9 points per game

Complete Top 144 Ranking | 2007-08 Preview | Discuss the Preview

Butler Rolls Over Green Bay 80-59

Bill Kintner — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 14:15:55 -0500

INDIANAPOLIS – When a team comes into your arena and shoots 54 percent for the game, including 60 percent from 3-point land, the home team’s fans quite often go home sad.

But not today, as the visiting University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix (10-9, 2-4 HL) posted those numbers and still went home with a loss as Butler extended their home court winning streak to 19 games, winning 80-59.

The Bulldogs also did a superb job of shooting too, hitting 52.5 percent from the field, 60.9 percent from 3-point land and a scorching 96 percent (24-25) from the foul line.

A very loose and jovial Todd Lickliter, the Butler Coach, explained after the game the Bulldogs better-than-usual shooting by saying that he demonstrated a new move to his team this week in practice and that Drew Streitcher imitated it today on the baseline in the game.

After a good laugh by everyone in the media room, Lickliter said that the team didn’t do anything different in terms of strategy.

“I think that guys are very comfortable, we emphasized passing the ball with better precision. I think that has been important,” explained Lickliter. “I think the key to shooting is technique and the time you spend shooting. Then it is shooting good shots”

Butler’s A. J. Graves played 36 minutes and scored 26 points to lead all scorers. Graves who had his wisdom teeth pulled a few days ago, played just 13 minutes in Butler’s 67-39 victory over Youngstown State. He said he just started eating solid foods yesterday. So his scoring outburst, which included 5-8 from 3-point land was not expected.

The game started off with a lot of scoring and a lot of fouls by both teams.

When a technical foul was called on the Butler’s bench at the 13:12 mark in the first half Green Bay’s Mike Schachtner made both free throws to give the Phoenix their biggest lead of the game at five points making it 14-9.

Then Graves went to work sinking a 3-pointer at the 12:59 mark followed by a jump shot, four free throws and another 3-pointer.

At half time Graves had 21 points and Butler led 45-26.

“I thought it was a five to eight minute stretch in the first half when we got stuck on 16 points,” explained Green Bay Coach Tod Kowaczyk “It seemed like forever, where I thought we played a little bit panicked and that five to eight minute stretch was really the game..

It was actually 5:85 seconds where Butler went from being down 16-14 to leading 26-16. Graves hit a jumper and the four fouls shots, Mike Green hit a foul shot and Willie Veasley made two free throws.

In the second half Butler (17-2, 51 HL) kept on scoring and so did Green Bay, but with Butler’s “eat up the clock offense” and pressure on defense, they prevented the Phoenix from getting enough shots off to close the gap.

The closest Green Bay got to Butler was 13 points at the 11:59 mark when Troy Cotton made a 3-point shot to cut the score to 54-41.

Green Bay’s senior guard Ryan Evanochko came in averaging 15.2 ppg and after a quiet first half that saw him score three points, he ended up scoring 18 points more points to finish with 21 points.

No other Green Bay players scored in double figures.

One other interesting statistic is that Butler out-rebounded the Phoenix 19-18. When both teams shoot high percentages there are not that many rebounds to grab.

For the Bulldogs Pete Campbell scored 14 points and Brandon Crone scored 13 points.

After the game Kowalczyk thought this team was comparable to 2000-2001 team that went to the NCAA Tournament and finished 24-8.

“Their spacing is so good and their skill level is so good that if you make a rotation, well typically if you make a rotation more times than not you rotate to a good player and they pitch it out to a non-shooter. It seemed like every time they have a player deep in the corner that can make a good shot.”

Notes:

*Poll watch………The Bulldogs are 15th in the ESPN/USA Today Poll and 18th in the Associated Press Poll.

*Ratings game…..The Bulldogs sit at 17th in the RPI, 11th in the Sagarin and 17th in the CollegeHoops.net Top 50 Power Ranking.

*Butler leads the all-time series 22-13.

*House Rules……Butler has won 19 consecutive games at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse including eight this season. The Bulldogs have won 89 of the last 100 games played in the Fieldhouse. The Bulldogs’ home court winning streak is the ninth-longest active home court winning streak in NCAA Division I.

*Former Wright State Coach Ed Schilling was in attendance at today’s game sitting next to his father Butler Hall of Famer Big Ed Schilling up in the Crow’s Nest

*Green Bay’s next game is at home on January 24th against UIC at 7 p. m.

*Butler’s next game is at Loyola on January 25th at 7 p.m.

Wright State Improves to 4-1 in Horizon

Bill Kintner — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 13:24:24 -0500

DAYTON – When someone not named Wood leads the Raiders in scoring, it usually means that Raider fans are going home sad.

But tonight Todd Brown led the Raiders who had four players in double figures in scoring with 21 points and the crowd of 6792 Raider fans at the Nutter Center went home happy as Wright State (11-7, 4-1 HL) defeated the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay 78-67.

For the record Wright State’s DeShaun Wood the leading scorer in the HL at 19.2 ppg led all players in assists tonight with seven as the Raiders got an amazing 19 assists on 25 baskets.

The Raiders came out on fire as they went on an 8-0 run. By the 13:32 mark the Raiders lead was 18-3 as they held Green Bay (10-8, 2-3 HL) to 12.5 percent shooting (1-8) while shooting 63.6 percent (7-11).

“We got off to a great start. Our focus was outstanding, our preparation was good,” explained a happy Wright State Coach Brad Brownell. “Obviously our defense at the beginning of the game energized us and our kids were excited to play in front of a really nice crowd.
.
The Raiders lead got up to 23 points when Todd Brown tipped in a missed jump shot by Jordan Pleiman to make it 31-8 with 4:46 left in the half.

During the last four minutes of the first half the lifeless Phoenix started to come alive. A jumper by Josh Lawrence and Troy Cotton got the score to 31-19.

Then after Wright State’s Scottie Wilson hit a 3-pointer, Green Bays Mike Schachtner hit a 3-pointer followed by Cotton who also hit a 3-pointer to close it to 43-18 Wright State lead at half time..

“What happened with us in the first half is that we were playing so well and making so many shots that we kind of settled for a few things late in the first half,” said Brownell. “Maybe we settled for a few jump shots when we could of moved it and done a few things better.”

The Phoenix came out in the second half and scored a quick six points. Wright State got back on track when Vaughn Duggins hit a 3-pointer at the 17:38 mark to make it 37-24.

Wright State’s biggest lead in the second half was 19 points when Duggins was fouled by Ryan Tillema and sunk both free throws to make it 49-30.

But as Wright State backed off a little with the lead the Phoenix kept fighting and hitting 3-pointers including three from Ryan Evanochko until they finally got the lead down to single digits on one of those Evanochko 3-pointers to cut the lead to nine at 71-62.

The Phoenix were trapping a lot late and upsetting Wright State’s offense, but that nine points was as close as Green Bay would get.

“The first 10 minutes is the story of the game. After that I think our guys
had a lot of heart and a lot of courage,” said a tired Green Bay Coach Todd Kowalczk. “We are still a young a immature team that has to get better.”

For the Raiders Wood had 14 points, Drew Burleson had 11 points and Duggins had 11 points. Both Brown and Pleiman has nine rebounds as Wright State out-rebounded the Phoenix 38-25.

Evanochko scored a game-high 27 points and Schachtner had 10 points for Green Bay.

Notes:

*Tonight was military night and in honor of that two ROTC students jumped out of the rafters, high above the court and rappelled down with the game ball. I am happy to report that both of them lived to tell about it.

*Green Bay is ranked 31st in field goal percentage (73.7 percent) and Wright State is ranked 32nd in field goal percentage (73.6 percent).

*Green Bay leads the all-time series 19-14.

*Green Bay’s next game is January 20th at 1 p.m.

*Wright State’s next game is at Cleveland State on Thursday at 7 p.m.