by By: Joey Daniels (@GBJoeyD)
GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – Winning its fourth consecutive game in a row despite another cold shooting performance, the Green Bay women’s basketball team defeated Vermont 60-40 on Saturday afternoon at the Kress Center.
Green Bay (9-2) had another tough shooting effort at home, finishing the game with a 32.3 percent (21-65) field goal percentage a game after shooting 35.1 percent against Wisconsin. The Phoenix defense held its opponents to under 50 points for the second consecutive game and under 40 percent shooting for the seventh game this season.
The Phoenix, which improved its perfect home record to 4-0, received 32 points from its bench thanks to Sam Terry’s game-high 17 points and Allie LeClaire’s 13. Terry and LeClaire combined to go 5-for-9 from three-point land, while the rest of the team went 0-for-11.
Vermont (3-8), which had won three games in a row entering the game, held Green Bay’s leading scorer Merhyn Kraker off the board completely. It’s the first time this season Kraker has failed to score, but her teammates came through to secure the victory.
“We all have off nights. The rest of us stepped up and I really just tried to do my job off the bench. Our defense made up for our offense and it’s always nice to get a win,” Terry said.
Tesha Buck (Mdewakanton Sioux) contributed 10 points, while senior point guard Megan Lukan added six assists and another solid defensive effort. Buck also grabbed eight rebounds as did Terry.
With the game tied at 12-12 and both teams struggling offensively, Green Bay found its rhythm and enjoyed a 23-4 run to end the half. LeClaire splashed two three’s during that stretch, and the Phoenix defense held the Catamounts to just four points over an 8:47 span.
Vermont was led by Kylie Butler, who finished with 14 points and eight rebounds.
Green Bay will enjoy a seven-day layoff before hitting the road for another mid-major showdown. The Phoenix will visit Dayton on Dec. 28 for a 1 p.m. CT tip-off.
