Nov. 9, 2007

Box Score

DES MOINES, Iowa - The Green Bay women's basketball team got the 2007-08 season off on the right foot Friday night as the Phoenix defeated 2007 NCAA tournament participant Drake at the Knapp Center.

Senior Kayla Groh (Elkhart Lake, Wis.) led the Phoenix with 20 points, her third 20-point game of her career. Four other Phoenix players reached double figures in scoring, including Rachel Porath (Luxemburg, Wis.) and Kati Harty (Ashwaubenon, Wis.) who had 15 points apiece.

Green Bay was dead-on shooting on the night, firing nearly 52 percent from the field and a white-hot 10-of-15 from three-point range, including a 4-for-4 effort by Groh. The Phoenix was 6-of-6 from downtown in the second half.

Drake (0-1) took a four-point lead early in the first half, but Green Bay slowly chipped away and took a 10-point lead at the break, thanks to 10 first-half points by Porath.

Freshman Kayla Tetschlag (Sheboygan, Wis.) had a solid debut, playing 28 minutes on her way to 10 points, five rebounds and two assists.

Green Bay out-rebounded the Bulldogs 34-28 and had a slim 15-12 advantage in the assist column.

The Bulldogs were led by Jordaan Plummer's 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting. Lindsay Whorton added 16 points while Jill Martin had 15 points and a game-best seven rebounds.

Green Bay, who has opened each of the last 21 seasons on the road, improved to 11-10 in season opening games at the NCAA Division I level and ended a two-game losing streak in those games.

With the win, first-year head coach Matt Bollant becomes the first Phoenix coach to begin their career 1-0; Carol Hammerle dropped her opening game to Ripon in 1973 (40-36 in overtime) and Kevin Borseth lost to Arizona 84-65 in 1998.

Green Bay returns to action Friday, Nov. 15 when it hits the road for the second of three Missouri Valley Conference road games against Illinois State at 7 p.m.