media guide - UWGB Phoenix Athletics

Phoenix to Make Fifth-Straight NCAA AppearanceBy: Gary D’Amato, Milwaukee Journal-SentinelMarch 17, 2013The UW-Green Bay athletic departmentprobably has a line item in its annualbudget for extra nets at the Kress EventsCenter.That’s because the women’s basketballteam keeps cutting them down.The top-seeded Phoenix won its thirdconsecutive Horizon League championshipgame - all at the Kress Center - bythrottling third-seeded Loyola, 54-38, onSunday afternoon.A couple of seniors, tournament MVPAdrian Ritchie of De Pere and SarahEichler of Grafton, who joined Ritchie onthe all-tournament team, had the honorof cutting down the nets, with many inthe crowd of 2,367 sticking around towatch.It’s one habit that never gets old.“The nets fray pretty easy these days,”joked Phoenix coach Kevin Borseth. “Itwas time to change them, anyway.”Green Bay improved to 29-2 with its24th consecutive victory and earned theconference’s automatic NCAA bid. ThePhoenix will learn its seeding and firstroundopponent Monday.“We don’t have any control over that,”Borseth said. “Whatever it’s going to be,it’s going to be.”The Phoenix built a 34-17 halftime leadbut went stone cold in the second half,hitting two of its first 23 shots and finishing8 for 34 (23.5%), including 1 for 14(7.1%) from three-point range.Green Bay values the extra pass, but alltoo often the Phoenix had to throw upawkward shots from the perimeter as theshot clock was about to expire.“I agree with that,” Borseth said. “We hadkids open on the block, and we just neverthrew it in there.“Fortunately, our defense was extremelygood tonight.”The Ramblers (17-15) never managed tocut their deficit to single digits becausethey couldn’t solve Green Bay’s swarmingzone. They shot just 29.8% overall andmade only 2 of 18 three-pointers.“It’s the same thing we’ve been sayingall four years we’ve been here,” Eichlersaid. “It’s all about defense. It’s alwaysdefense.”Eichler led the Phoenix with 16 points andadded seven rebounds and four assists.Ritchie scored 15 points and pulled downnine rebounds. Simone Law led the Ramblerswith 12 points.Ritchie picked up a quick foul in the openingminute and went to the bench. Shecame back in with the score tied, 4-4,and proceeded to score seven points in aspan of 1 minute 44 seconds - including acoast-to-coast lay-in after she grabbed arebound - to key a decisive 17-4 run.“I didn’t know there was a foul called,”Borseth said. “I said, ‘What’s Adrian doingsitting here?’ Somebody said she got afoul and I said, ‘When?’ We put her backin and there was a string of events, boom,boom, boom.”The Phoenix improved to 14-2 in postseasongames held at the 5-year-old KressCenter and is 95-6 on its home courtoverall.Borseth, in the first year of his secondstint as Green Bay’s coach, said his goal atthe beginning of the season was “not toscrew this up,” a reference to the Phoenix’s31-2 record last year under MattBollant.“They know how to play,” Borseth said. “Icome in the locker room at halftime andwrite things on the board and they’vealready figured out what they’re going todo in the second half, I swear.“Fortunately, the players are savvyenough, they’re talented enough andthey’re smart enough with the gamewhere I can just inject some of my ideas inthere and they can run with it.”