Editor's Note: Throughout postseason play, Assistant Director of
Athletics Communications Jill Wunrow will provide "Postseason
Props" to a Phoenix player/players she feels provided a spark in Green
Bay's most recent game.
NCAA TOURNAMENT, First Round (1) Green Bay 71, (10) Iowa State 57 -
At first when looking at the stat sheet after
No. 7 seed Green Bay's (31-1) 71-57 win over No. 10 seed Iowa State (18-13) in
the first round of the NCAA Tournament, it would appear to be a tough decision
to pick which Phoenix player deserves "Postseason Props" with four scoring in
double figures.
After scoring nine
points throughout three games in the Horizon League Championship, junior Lydia Bauer (Lake Zurich, Ill.) got out of her shooting slump, tying a game-high 16
points while sinking four three pointers in Green Bay's win. Bauer is certainly
deserving of Postseason Props after playing a key role in leading Green Bay to
the program's first win on an opponent's home court in the NCAA Tournament.
Bauer sank three
three pointers in the first half of play, including a shot from the top of the
key as time expired, giving the Phoenix its largest halftime lead (42-23) in
program history in an NCAA Tournament game.
"I've had a shooting
drought for the past few games and it felt good to step up and help my team by
making those shots," said a smiling Bauer in the lockerroom after the game.
Bauer, who
specializes in the three-point shot, was 1-for-12 in Horizon League Tournament
play, but never gave up and kept shooting, knowing eventually one would go in.
"Knocking down the
first shot gives me so much confidence for the rest of the game," Bauer said. "Once
I made that first one I felt confident the rest of the game to knock 'em down,
it just felt good."
Bauer sank her first
three from the top of the key at the 15:31 mark to boost Green Bay's lead to
four (8-4). With 5:15 remaining in the opening half, Bauer drained another
three to give the Phoenix the 25-18 advantage. Bauer's three as the buzzer
sounded at the end of the half was Green Bay's ninth of the game, a season-high
for the Phoenix in a first half.
"What a great way to
end the half with Lydia knocking down the long three and getting great looks,"
Bollant said of Bauer's performance.
With all the media
attention and scouting reports from other teams focusing on All-American
candidate Julie Wojta (Francis Creek, Wis.), Bauer's performance was key in
Green Bay's victory tonight.
"Julie has gotten so
much attention this year and obviously deserves it but our other players are
really good as well and they showed it tonight and showed they can play on a
big stage," said Bollant.
Bauer and Sarah
Eichler (Grafton, Wis.) led all players with 16 points each, both sinking four
three pointers. Eichler's 10 three-point field goal attempts tied a program
NCAA Tournament record. Adrian Ritchie (De Pere, Wis.) chipped in two threes,
finishing with 15 points while Wojta added one three, finishing with 14 points.
Green Bay's 29 three-point field goal attempts set a program record for an NCAA
Tournament game.
###
The meeting
between Green Bay, the Horizon League regular season and tournament champions
and SEC regular season champions, No. 2 seed Kentucky (26-6) will take place at
Hilton Coliseum on Monday, March 19 at 8:30 p.m. CT.
For
ticketing information, please visit Cyclones.com. Single-session and all-session ticket
packages are available. Single-session tickets are being sold for $18 for
adults and $13 for youth.
To follow
all of the action throughout Green Bay's trip to the NCAA Tournament, check out
Tournament Central presented by Taco Bell.
For the latest and most up-to-date information on Green Bay Athletics,
please visit GreenBayPhoenix.com.
Follow us on Twitter: @GBPhoenix and @gbphoenixwbb.
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