by By: Joey Daniels (@GBPhoenixWBB)
GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) –Benefitting from a season-high 24 points from junior guard Kaili Lukan, the No. 1 seed Green Bay women’s basketball team survived its quarterfinal game against No. 8 seed Milwaukee, winning 74-62 on Wednesday night at the Kress Center to advance to the Horizon League Tournament semifinals.
Lukan played just 11 minutes in her last game but exploded for 24 points to keep Green Bay (26-4) perfect all-time in quarterfinal games. She finished one point shy of her career high 25 points, which also came against Milwaukee (10-20) last season.
The Phoenix will now face No. 4 seed Youngstown State in one semifinal game on Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. at the Kress Center for a trip to the tournament championship game. No. 2 seed Wright State and No. 3 seed Cleveland State will face off in the other semifinal game at 5 p.m. at the Kress Center beforehand.
Mehrn Kraker tallied her fifth career double-double and third of the season after finishing with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Sam Terry also registered in double figures, totaling 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting off the bench. Tesha Buck (Mdewakanton Sioux) scored 9 points, pulled down 7 rebounds, and had 3 steals on the evening.
Milwaukee enjoyed a 4-2 lead very early in the game, but after Kraker knocked down a 3-pointer and gave the Phoenix the lead, the Panthers would never lead or tie the game again. Green Bay went on a 9-0 over that stretch and enjoyed a 13-point lead at the half.
The Panthers did outscore Green Bay in the second half 39-38, but wouldn’t come any closer than eight points in that half. Milwaukee trailed by eight with 15:13 remaining, but back-to-back baskets by Kaili Lukan lifted Green Bay up by double digits.
The Phoenix has now won nine games in a row, its longest streak over the last two seasons.
To visit the 2015 Horizon League Tournament Central page click here.
