(GREEN BAY ATHLETICS) ROCHESTER, MICH – The Green Bay men’s basketball team took down the Oakland Golden Grizzlies on the road, 73-68, to take sole possession of second place in the Horizon League. Assistant Coach Kerry Rupp got the win on the sidelines in place of Phoenix head coach Doug Gottlieb, who served his one-game Horizon League suspension Friday night.
The Phoenix (16-13, 11-7) had three players score in double figures, led by Justin Allen, who had 21 points and five assists. C.J. O’Hara added 16 points and four assists, and Caden Wilkins helped out with 12 points and two steals.
Green Bay shared the ball well, racking up 16 assists on 25 made field goals. Allen’s five assists paced the Phoenix.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Green Bay got out to an early 20-11 lead, after a Marcus Hall three-pointer with 11:39 left to go in the first half. The Phoenix increased its lead to 29-16 after a Ramel Bethea dunk with 8:28 left in the half. Oakland responded with a 16-3 run to tie the game at 32 with 49 seconds left in the half. The Phoenix responded with an O’Hara layup, and Vukasin Todorovic drilled a 3-pointer as time expired to give themselves a 37-32 lead at halftime.
The two teams traded leads for a majority of the second half before Oakland took a 63-62 lead after a Michael Hogue layup with 3:12 left in the game. Green Bay responded with a pair of Preston Ruedinger free throws to take a 64-63 lead with 1:32 left in the game. Wilkens added onto the Phoenix lead by drilling a three-pointer with 54 seconds left. Green Bay closed it out by knocking down its free throws down the stretch to secure a 73-68 win.
GAME NOTES
» The Phoenix shot well from three-point range, knocking down 10-of-22 attempts.
» The Phoenix held the Golden Grizzlies to only 37.1-percent shooting from the field.
» Green Bay held Oakland to 5-of-25 from three-point range.
» The Phoenix was active in affecting shots on the defensive end, recording five blocks as a team.
» Caden Wilkins and C.J. O’Hara each had four rebounds to lead Green Bay.
» Oakland outrebounded Green Bay 40-29.
ON THE HORIZON
Green Bay will stay in Michigan to face off against Detroit Mercy on Sunday at Noon CST. The Titans sit at 10-7, a half-game behind Green Bay in the Horizon League standings.
