by BROOKINGS, S.D. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – After trailing by double digits late in the game, the Green Bay women’s basketball team stormed back on the road to take down South Dakota State 77-75 at Frost Arena on Wednesday night.
The Phoenix (7-2) rallied to win its third road game of the season, all against postseason teams from a season ago. Green Bay was led by Mehryn Kraker’s 17 points and seven rebounds, while Tesha Buck (Mdewakanton Sioux) added 14 points of her own. The two linked up on a steal and finish with 1:20 remaining in the game to give Green Bay the lead at 72-70, cementing a lead the Phoenix would not give back.
The host Jackrabbits (6-3) had a running shot at the buzzer in the lane to tie the game, but the ball bounced off the back rim as the horn sounded. Despite shooting only 2-for-14 from deep, Green Bay stepped up to the free throw line late in the game and converted to stay ahead. The Phoenix finished 23-for-31 at the line in the contest.
Green Bay trailed by 10 points at 62-52 with 9:44 remaining in the game, but then went a 14-4 run over the next six-plus minutes to tie the game at 66-66. It was layup after layup for the Phoenix during that stretch, executing the offense and benefitting from close shots. The Phoenix finished with 46 points in the paint, while the Jacks only totaled 26.
Kaili Lukan came up with a huge steal with 1:11 left and her team up by two, before missing a contested shot on the other end. That’s when the team’s leading scorer, now at 15.0 PPG, Kraker snagged the board and finished strong to give Green Bay a four-point lead. The Phoenix would make enough free throws the remainder of the way to seal the victory.
Lukan was the other player to finish in double figures in the game, totaling 11 points. She also finished with three steals, with two of those coming down the stretch. Megan Lukan and Lexi Weitzer each finished with nine points in a game that was billed one of the top mid-major matchups of the early season.
“We’ve been in this spot a couple of times this year. I thought our defense did an excellent job after that ten-point deficit. The game mirrored last year’s game at our place. We had a few things go our way down the stretch. It’s a great win,” head coach Kevin Borseth said.
The Phoenix will return home next, as it plays host to rival Wisconsin on Saturday (Oct. 13). Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at the Kress Center, with the first 500 kids receiving a free green youth jersey courtesy of Prevea Health. Fans are also encouraged to wear green to help “Green Out” the Kress Center.
