By: Jill Wunrow
GreenBayPhoenix.com
GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) -
For the second time in as many seasons, the No. 18 Green
Bay (3-0) women's basketball team will participate in a regular season
tournament as it heads to San Juan, Puerto Rico to compete in the San Juan
Shootout Nov. 24-26. The Phoenix will face Illinois (2-3) Nov. 24 before
battling No. 25 Georgia Tech (3-0) Nov. 26. Both games will tip off at 4:30 p.m. CT.
Green Bay enters the San Juan Shootout with a regular season 23-game
consecutive winning streak which is tied for the second longest in program
history. The longest regular season winning streak for the Phoenix is 34 games.
GAME 1: GREEN BAY vs. ILLINOIS -
Thursday, Nov. 24... Green Bay and Illinois will meet for
the fifth time overall and first time on a neutral court. It will also be head
coach Matt Bollant's first career game against the Fighting Illini as the
leader of the Phoenix. Illinois owns the overall series record of 4-1 with
Green Bay's lone win coming on its home court Dec. 1, 2004.
Illinois is the first of two teams Green Bay will face throughout the
season that hails from the Big Ten Conference. In addition to Illinois, the
Phoenix will battle in-state rival Wisconsin Dec. 23 at 7:30 p.m. in Madison.
Under fifth year head coach Bollant the Phoenix is 5-2 against Big Ten
opponents, including postseason play. Green Bay went 4-0 last season with wins
over Minnesota, Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan State.
Green Bay's game against Illinois will be the second consecutive season
that the Phoenix has faced a team from the Big Ten in a regular season tournament.
Last season Green Bay beat Penn State 79-74 in the Caribbean Challenge in
Cancun, Mexico Nov. 26.
The Fighting Illini enters the San Juan Shootout with a two game road
losing streak while the Phoenix has won its first three games of the season.
GAME 2: GREEN BAY vs. No. 25 GEORGIA TECH -
Saturday, Nov. 26... Green Bay and No. 25 Georgia Tech will tip off
for the second time in program history, with both games played on a neutral
court. The teams last met in the first round of the WNIT Tournament Mar. 26,
1992 where the Yellow Jackets edged the Phoenix 78-77.
Saturday's game will be the third time the Phoenix faces an opponent
from the ACC conference under Bollant who is 2-0 against teams from the
respective conference. Georgia Tech is also the first of three opponents the
Phoenix faces this season that appeared in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. The Yellow
Jackets advanced to the second round and Green Bay the Sweet 16.
Prior to the San Juan Shootout, Georgia Tech hosts Kennesaw State Nov.
22 before opening its play in the Shootout against Rutgers Nov. 25 followed by
the Phoenix. Nov. 26.
LEADING THE WAY... Illinois has three players averaging in double-figure scoring in
sophomore Kersten Magrum (15.8 ppg), junior Karisma Penn (14.0 ppg) and sophomore
Amber Moore (10.6). Penn was named to the Preseason All-Big Ten team.
Georgia Tech Sophomore Tyaunna Marshall is pacing the Yellow Jackets
averaging 14.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per contest. The 5'9" guard was named
Second Team Preseason All-ACC by College Sports Madness after earning ACC
All-Freshman Team and Third Team All-ACC honors during her freshman season.
Dawn Maye is also averaging double figure scoring pouring in 13.5 ppg while
Metra Walthour is chipping in 12.0 ppg for the Yellow Jackets.
Green Bay has four players averaging 10 points or more per contest.
First Team Preseason All-League selection Julie Wojta (Francis Creek, Wis.)
leads the Phoenix with 22.0 ppg while Lydia Bauer (Lake Zurich, Ill.) is
scoring an average of 15.0 ppg, Adrian Ritchie (De Pere, Wis.) 12.0 ppg and Hannah
Quilling (Eau Claire, Wis.) 10.7 ppg.
WELL RESTED... Compared to its opponents, Green Bay will be well rested when the San
Juan Shootout tips off. The Phoenix will have had five days of rest before
facing Illinois who will enter the contest with three days of rest. Georgia
Tech will have two days without a game before playing Rutgers in its first
contest of the San Juan Shootout Nov. 25.
FREE THROW PERFECTION... Six of nine players that have played for the Phoenix this season are
shooting a perfect 1.000 percent from the free throw line including Wojta
(11-11), Ritchie (10-10), Quilling (8-8), Lydia Bauer (4-4), Jenny Gilbertson
(2-2) and Sam Zastrow (2-2).
NATIONAL RANKINGS... Green Bay moved up five spots from No. 23 to No. 18 in this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and is knocking on the door of the AP Top 25 Poll at No. 26 with 92 points. For the first time this season Georgia Tech cracked the national polls at No. 25 in the Coaches Poll.
FOLLOW THE ACTION LIVE... Fans can follow live stats of
Green Bay's games in the San Juan Shootout here. The game
will also be available on 1400 AM in the Green Bay area and online here.
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Season tickets, Pick 5 packages and 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, please visit GreenBayPhoenix.com/tickets.
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