Phoenix WBB team sees 11-game win streak snapped by YSU

GREEN BAY ATHLETICS

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Green Bay women’s basketball team returned to the Kress Center Friday night for the first time since New Year’s Eve, but dropped a tight contest to the Youngstown State Penguins on Friday, 63-60. The loss snaps GB’s 11-game win streak. The Phoenix (14-4, 7-2 HL) were led by Jasmine Kondrakiewicz and Cassie Schiltz, who both had 15 points on the night. Bailey Butler filled up the box score, adding eight points, six rebounds and six assists. The Penguins (13-5, 7-2 HL) had four players score in double figures, led by Lilly Ritz, who had 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting. Ritz also led YSU in rebounding, pulling down seven on the night. HOW IT HAPPENEDThe Phoenix came out of the gate slowly, falling behind 10-4 in the first five minutes. Five different players scored for GB in the opening stanza, who trailed 20-11 after the first ten minutes of play. The Penguins shot 56.3-percent from the field in the frame.Green Bay mounted a gradual comeback in the second quarter, eventually outscoring YSU 21-13 by quarters end to close the gap to one point before intermission. A 6-0 Phoenix run with 4:48 left highlighted the quarter, with Schiltz and Sydney Levy draining consecutive threes. Tatum Koenig also got in on the action from downtown, bringing the Phoenix to within one possession at the 1:41 mark.

After keeping the game close at the start of the third quarter,

gave GB its first lead after hitting a triple with 6:31 left in the quarter. A pair of

free throws on the next possession extended the lead to three points, which ended up being the largest GB lead of the night. After the Penguins briefly retook the lead, the Phoenix finished the quarter holding a slim edge, 50-49.Youngstown State opened up an early four-point lead in the final quarter. Once again, Green Bay battled back, tying the game at 54 and again at 56. A Kondrakiewicz 3-pointer gave the Phoenix a momentary lead with 2:35 to go, 59-58, but a GB scoring drought for the last 1:54 of the game allowed the Penguins to claim a 63-60 victory.GAME NOTES» The Phoenix shared the ball well, recording an assist on 60-percent of made baskets.» Kondrakiewicz made the most of her free throws, going 6-for-6 from the line.» Butler led all players with six assists.» Green Bay was lights-out in the second quarter, shooting 8-of-11 from the field and 3-of-3 from behind the arc.» GB scored 14 points off 11 Youngstown State turnovers.» YSU’s Emily Saunders led all players with three blocked shots.» The two teams were inseparable in many categories, with GB taking the edge in rebounding (29-28), turnovers forced (11-10), and bench points (8-6). The Penguins were slightly better than the Phoenix in the paint, outscoring them 28-26.UP NEXT

A four-game homestand for the Phoenix will continue on Sunday when they host the Robert Morris Colonials at 1 p.m. Highlights include Alumni Day activities, Festival Foods Family Day, and a special remembrance ceremony of the late Carol Bush before tip-off.

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