Green Bay advances to Horizon League Championship game after defeating Purdue Fort Wayne 73-48

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WBAY) - The Green Bay women’s basketball team will play for a Horizon League Championship after defeating Purdue Fort Wayne 73-48 at the Corteva Coliseum Monday in the semifinals.

The Phoenix (24-8) had three players score in double figures, led by a Green Bay career-high 20 points from senior Carley Duffney. Meghan Schultz recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Kristina Ouimette added 11 points off the bench.

Defense, rebounding fuel the win

Green Bay held the Mastodons to 33.3 percent shooting from the field and 16.7 percent from beyond the arc on 18 attempts. The Phoenix out-rebounded Purdue Fort Wayne 47-27, collecting 16 offensive rebounds and scoring nine second-chance points. Meghan Schultz and Maddy Skorupski each finished with a game-high 10 rebounds.

Green Bay forced 16 Purdue Fort Wayne turnovers while committing 12 of its own, converting those takeaways into 15 points. Skorupski recorded a season-high six steals to lead the Phoenix defensively. The Phoenix also recorded an assist on 75 percent of made field goals.

Green Bay went on a 6-0 run with 5:24 left in the first quarter to take a 13-9 lead, a score that held through the end of the period. The Phoenix scored eight of its 13 first-quarter points in the paint.

Green Bay extended its advantage in the second quarter with a 10-0 run beginning at the 9:13 mark, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Ellie Buzzelle, to push the lead to 23-9. The Mastodons cut into the deficit, but the Phoenix held a 34-23 advantage at halftime. Green Bay knocked down three shots from beyond the arc in the second period, accounting for nine of its 21 points in the quarter.

Following halftime, Green Bay continued to build its lead, pushing it to 50-35 before a 9-0 run capped by a Kristina Ouimette basket with five seconds left in the third quarter extended the advantage to 59-35 heading into the fourth. The Phoenix scored 18 of its 25 third-quarter points in the paint.

Green Bay opened the fourth quarter with an 8-0 run, finished by a Jenna Guyer jumper, to grow the lead to 67-35 with 6:24 remaining. Purdue Fort Wayne responded with an 11-0 scoring run, but the Phoenix held on for the 73-48 victory.