Ames, Iowa – Seventh-seed Green Bay closed the first half on a 20-5 run and never let Iowa State get within single digits in the second half as the Phoenix advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 73-59 win over the Cyclones on Saturday night inside ISU’s Hilton Coliseum.
"I'm just incredibly proud of our team,” Green Bay Head Coach Matt Bollant said. “We talk about us playing as hard as anyone in the country, and in the first half we showed them that. We forced them to commit 19 turnovers, a phenomenal number. Iowa State is a fantastic basketball team. It says a lot about our young ladies. I'm just so incredibly proud of how hard and how together we played, with such a great first half. What a great balance in the first half, to see Lydia (Bauer) make threes. Nine threes before half, including the one going into halftime, made for a remarkable first half. I'm really proud of our team; I thought we had great balance in the first half. It's the first time in school history we've beaten a team on their court (in an NCAA Tournament game). We had a lot of firsts this year and we added this one."
The 10th-ranked Phoenix never trailed in the game, but their lead was just four, 22-18, with 5:30 remaining in the first half after two Iowa State free throws. Green Bay would score on its next three possessions though, a Bauer three-pointer, a Stephanie Sension jumper and a three-pointer from Adrian Ritchie, as Green Bay took its first double-digit lead of the evening, 30-18, with 4:01 left until halftime.
Iowa State (18-13) scored the next three points of the half to cut Green Bay’s lead to 30-21 as the Phoenix went 2:30 minutes without scoring. Ritchie broke the scoreless streak with a three-point play with 1:31 remaining to give GB a 33-21 lead. The Phoenix would then connect on three three-pointers in the final :57 seconds of the first half, one each by Ritchie, Sarah Eichler and Bauer as the Phoenix took a 42-23 lead into the break.
In the first half, Green Bay (31-1) connected on 9-of-18 three-point attempts as Bauer connected on three triples, Eichler and Ritchie hit two and Horizon League Player of the Year Julie Wojta made one. On defense in the first half, the Phoenix forced 19 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes as Iowa State could never get comfortable on the offensive end.
Green Bay maintained a double-digit lead the entire second half as the Cyclones didn't get closer than 17 points until Brynn Williamson connected on a triple to bring Iowa State within 14, 53-39, with 9:29 left in the game. Iowa State would get as close as 10, 63-53, with 3:02 remaining, but the Phoenix scored the next four points to stymie any hope of an Iowa State comeback.
Green Bay had four players score in double figures, led by Bauer and Eichler who each finished with 16 points. Ritchie had 15 points, while Wojta chipped in 14.
The Phoenix face second-seed Kentucky in Monday’s second round game. The game is scheduled to tipoff at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Game Notes:
Green Bay finished with 20 steals, a program tournament record…The Phoenix are now 6-12 all-time in NCAA Tournament games…This was the program’s first tournament win on an opponent’s home floor (1-9)…Green Bay’s 29 3-point attempts were its most ever in an NCAA Tournament game.
