GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) --- Using a 53-point second half and a combined 60 points from its starting guards, Green Bay took down Horizon League-leading Wright State 92-89 at the Resch Center on Super Bowl Sunday. The Phoenix (11-13, 6-5 HL) picked up its biggest win of the season, and a what could be a very valuable tiebreaker in terms of the Horizon League Tournament seeding. The Raiders (19-5, 9-2 HL) entered the game on a four-game winning streak, and winners in 12 of its last 13 contests overall.
Green Bay can hang its hat on going 2-2 against what is believed to be the league's top two teams in Wright State and Northern Kentucky, which GB defeated on the road earlier this season. GB is now in a 3-way tie for third place in the Horizon League standings, sitting at 6-5 with UIC and Youngstown State.
The trio of Amari Davis (24 points), Kameron Hankerson (22 points) and JayQuan McCloud (14 points) was clicking throughout the game, the most combined points the three have scored in a game this season. Hankerson and Davis combined to 16-for-24 from the field, with McCloud helping the trio go 18-for-22 at the free throw line.
Hanging on to a lead late in the game, the Raiders wouldn't go down without a fight. After Hankerson's fourth-straight free throw was missed (he made the previous three), Wright State had the ball on the final possession looking to tie the game. Cole Gentry's 24-foot 3-pointer was off the mark and the Phoenix held on at home, sending the loud Resch Center fan base home to its Super Bowl post with a Phoenix victory.
It was a 3-pointer by PJ Pipes with 5:30 left in the game that gave GB the 70-69 lead, which they would never let go.
Manny Patterson played a key role as well, scoring 10 points and grabbing seven rebounds, but more impressively holding down the front-runner for Player of the Year in the conference, Loudon Love. Love finished with 21 points and nine rebounds, but needed the help of seven made free throws to build his stat line.
As a team, GB shot the ball extremely well, shooting 54.5 percent (30-for-55) in the game. The second half was even better, with the Phoenix making 15 of its 26 attempts for 58 percent.
The Phoenix will now hit the road for five-straight games, first making the IUPUI-UIC road swing. GB will play in Indianapolis this Thursday, Feb. 6, or a 10 a.m. CT tip-off. The game is serving as IUPUI's kids day.
