By: Jill Wunrow
GreenBayPhoenix.com
GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) -
The No. 11/12 Green Bay (21-1, 11-1 HL) women's
basketball team hits the road Thursday, Jan. 26 as it travels to Ohio to face
Cleveland State (9-15, 4-9 HL) at 6 p.m. CT at the Wolstein Center. Four of
Green Bay's last six regular season games will be played on the road. The
Phoenix has won 17 consecutive regular season Horizon League games on the road,
the longest road-winning streak under fifth year head coach Matt Bollant.
Green Bay enters Thursday's contest ranked second in the nation in
turnover margin (9.95) and eighth with an average of 17.5 assists per game.
Senior Julie Wojta (Francis Creek, Wis.) ranks fourth in the nation in steals
with an average of 3.9 per game. With her total 85 steals this season, Wojta is
just 19 shy of holding the single season record.
Cleveland State split their last two games and with a win Thursday,
would clinch their 10th win of the season and give head coach Kate Peterson
Abiad her 116th victory, the most wins in program history. The Vikings grabbed
40 rebounds in back-to-back games last weekend at UIC and Loyola. Cleveland
State has recorded 40 or more boards in seven contests this season.
Thursday's game features two of the Horizon League's top players in
Green Bay's Wojta who leads the league in steals (4.3), is third in rebounding
(10.1), and fourth in scoring (17.8) against Horizon League opponents.
Cleveland State's Shalonda Winton is pacing all players averaging 21.5 points
per game and 10.7 rebounds per game in the league.
ABOUT THE SERIES...
Green Bay owns the overall series record
against the Vikings with a 50-5 record and 22-2 record on Cleveland State's
home court. The Phoenix has won the past 20 regular season contests against the
Vikings.
LAST MEETING (Jan.
21, 2012)... As a team, Green Bay shot a Kress
Center record, 94.7 percent from the free throw line (18-for-19). The Phoenix
defense forced the Vikings five turnovers in the first six minutes as Green Bay
went on a 14-4 run, featuring scoring from seven different players. Junior Sarah
Eichler (Grafton, Wis.) scored her 10 first half points in the first 14 minutes
of play. Green Bay did not turn the ball over until 4:41 remaining in the first
half, finishing with a season low eight turnovers in the contest.
LEAGUE LEADERS... Green Bay leads the Horizon League
in nine statistical categories against Horizon League opponents, including
scoring offense (72.2 ppg), scoring defense (51.9), scoring margin (+20.3) free
throw percentage (.771), 3-point field goal percentage defense (.277), assists
(17.4), turnover margin (+12.5), steals (12.6), and assist/turnover ratio
(1.2).
Wojta is fourth in
scoring, averaging 17.8 points per game, second in three-point field goal percentage
(.424) and third in rebounding with 10.1 boards per contest. Teammate Lydia
Bauer (Lake Zurich, Ill.) is leading all players shooting 96 percent from the
free throw line against conference opponents.
WOJTA
CLIMBING CAREER LADDERS... Wojta ranks in the top 10 in five
career statistical categories in Green Bay's record books including points
(1,414), FGs made (552), FTs made (257), rebounds (735), and steals (246),
Wojta is just one of seven Phoenix players in program history to be in the top
10 in both scoring and rebounding and her current career scoring average (12.5)
No. 8 on Green Bay's career record list.
With her
current scoring average of 19.1 points per game, Wojta is on pace to finish her
career at least No. 5 all-time in scoring. Wojta is a mid-season Wade Trophy
Watch List addition and has earned Horizon League Player of the Week four times
this season.
Wojta has 11 double
doubles this season and has scored at least 12 points in every contest and had
double figure rebounding performances nine times. In Green Bay's recent contest
against Wright State Feb. 11, the senior captain poured in a career-high 30
points while grabbing a career and Kress Center record 20 rebounds. Wojta is
the first player in Phoenix history to post 30 points and 20 rebounds in a
single game.
###
Single-game tickets for both men's and women's
basketball programs are currently on sale with the Green Bay ticket office. For
more information, click here.
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