by GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) — Sandy Cohen III scored a career-high 24 points and four other players finished in double-figures for Green Bay, which picked up another Horizon League-opening victory on Thursday night at the Resch Center, 95-83 over Detroit Mercy. The Phoenix (6-8, 1-0 HL) scored a season-high in points against a Division I opponent and held off the visiting Titans (4-10, 0-1 HL) to open Horizon League play on the winning side for the fifth-straight season.
Cohen III scored 8 of Green Bay’s first 11 points, and eventually finished with a career-high 24 on 9-of-18 shooting and 3-for-7 from 3-point range. In just his third game back in action, the redshirt-junior tied his season-high in the first half alone, scoring 16 points and helping GB take a 48-41 lead into the half.
With Green Bay leading 76-74 with just over 6 minutes to play, Khalil Small hit back-to-back free throws to kick start a 10-0 run by the Phoenix. Small scored 4 of the points during that run, while Cohen III splashed a 3 and slammed home a thunderous dunk, helping GB take control of the game at 86-74 with 3:30 to go.
Green Bay eventually led by as many as 15 points with 2:20 remaining, which was highlighted by a 21-6 run.
Small finished with 17 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in the winning effort. The senior has now registered double-digit points in all 14 games this season, and also logged 38 minutes of action.
Also finishing in double-figures for the Phoenix was fellow-senior David Jesperson, who added 11 points and 6 rebounds, knocking down 3-of-8 3-point attempts. PJ Pipes scored 13 points in the start, recording 10-plus points in his fifth-straight game in the process, while finishing 6-for-7 at the free throw line.
Sukhjot Bains netted a career-high 16 points off the bench, finishing strong around the rim and converting on 6 of his 8 shot attempts. Bains also grabbed 6 rebounds and went 3-for-4 at the charity stripe.
The win snaps a two-game losing streak for the Phoenix, but more importantly gets its three-game homestand off on the winning side. GB will play its next two HL games at the Resch Center, hosting Oakland on Saturday (Dec. 30) before welcoming IUPUI on Tuesday (Jan. 2).
