March 12, 2008

Box Score

Box Score

GREEN BAY, Wis. - The Green Bay women's basketball team (26-4) won its 13th straight game Wednesday evening with a strong showing in the second half as the top-seeded Phoenix defeated No. 9 seed Loyola 83-67 at the Kress Center.

Junior center Lavesa Glover led the Phoenix with 21 points while fellow junior Erin Templin was one off her career best with 16 points. Senior Kayla Groh and junior Rachel Porath added 14 and 12 points, respectively.

Kati Harty just missed double-figures in scoring with nine points, but the junior guard teased a double-double with a career-tying high seven assists in the win.

Green Bay will now host the remainder of the Horizon League championship, starting Friday with semifinal action. The Phoenix will take on No. 4 seed Cleveland State at 8 p.m. central, while No. 2 seed Wright State will take on No. 3 seed Milwaukee at 5:30 p.m. central. Sunday's title game is slated for noon central and will be aired live on ESPNU.

Loyola (8-23) was led by Maggie McCloskey and her 22-point effort, while Elyse VanBogaert and Keisha Collins each added 16 points.

After scoring the first 10 points of the game, it looked as if Green Bay was on track to cruise past the lower-seeded Ramblers. But Loyola (8-23) clawed back, shooting 53.6 percent from the field in the first half. With a three-pointer by McCloskey with 1:16 left in the half, the Ramblers completed an 11-2 run to take a 38-33 lead. Green Bay answered with a quartet of free throws before the half, but entered the locker room trailing by one, 38-37.

But Green Bay burst out of the halftime break and answered Loyola with a 14-3 run to start the second half as part of its 46-29 second-half advantage. The Phoenix shot a blistering 68.2 percent in the second 20 minutes while holding Loyola to just 36.4 percent. After giving up seven three-pointers in the first half, Green Bay allowed just three long-distance shots of the Ramblers in the final half.

Loyola cut the Phoenix lead one more time, this time to a four-point game on a pair of McCloskey free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt. But a Glover layup and a Porath three-pointer ignited a 16-4 run to put the contest away.

Aiding the Green Bay's cause was a season-low nine turnovers, a total that included four in the final 2:42 when the game was out of reach.

Green Bay improved to 33-5 all-time in the Horizon League championship with the win and posted its 25th straight win at home against Horizon League foes.