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A six-hour bus ride back home feels so much better after a win.
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay men’s basketball team continued its turnaround under second-year coach Doug Gottlieb with one of its best performances of the season in a 72-54 victory at Purdue Fort Wayne on Jan. 1.
UWGB jumped out to a 15-0 advantage and held the Mastodons without a point for the first 7 minutes, 37 seconds.
It was a wire-to-wire victory for the second time in the last three games after the Phoenix did the same against UC Santa Barbara on Dec. 17.
How impressive was the win over PFW?
The Mastodons (8-8) entered 7-0 at home this season and 19-2 since the beginning of 2024-25.
UWGB’s defense held PFW to its fewest points since it had 48 against Pittsburgh in December 2023 and the fewest points in a Horizon League game since putting up 50 against Northern Kentucky in February 2023.
The Mastodons scored 28.9 points below their season average after entering third in the Horizon League at 82.9 a contest.
Former Phoenix guard Jeremy Pfister, who played at UWGB from 1996 to 2000, watched his alma mater lose last season at PFW by 15 points.
He was invited into the locker room after this one, and while off to the side with the coaching staff, he probably sounded like any other Phoenix fan right now after enduring a 4-28 season in 2024-25.
“He’s like, ‘What have you been doing?’” said Gottlieb, whose team improved to 7-8 and has won three of its last four. “I go, ‘We have been coaching.’ He goes, ‘You look so much better.’
“Yeah, it’s a whole different deal. Look, let’s be honest. We caught them on a bad day. If we catch them on the day they beat Notre Dame (72-69 on Dec. 21), they get that ball popping and driving on you and hitting 3s and talking (smack), they are hard to play against. It’s not going to be easy when they come back to the Kress.”
Of course, it won’t be easy for PFW if UWGB plays like this again.
It had plenty of big performances during a game in which it featured a smaller lineup, with senior guard Justin Allen leading the way with 21 points while shooting 6-for-10 overall and 8-for-8 from the line.
The two forwards that did play big minutes performed well, too, with the combo of Marcus Hall and Caden Wilkins combining for 32 points, 17 rebounds and 10-for-18 shooting.
UWGB even survived an extended absence in the second half from senior point guard and team leader Preston Ruedinger. Gottlieb wasn’t sure if it was an injury or if Ruedinger was suffering from cramps, which also happened late in a loss to Robert Morris last month.
“The big thing is, we came ready to play,” Gottlieb said. “Started Caden Wilkins, started Justin Allen. Obviously, gives us a little bit more offensive scoring pop, but we had to really lock in. (PFW is) incredibly talented. That’s as talented of a basketball team at this level as you are going to find. Notre Dame couldn’t guard them at all.”
The Phoenix will get another big test when it hosts UW-Milwaukee on Jan. 5 at the Kress Center.
The Panthers were picked as the top team in the Horizon preseason poll and entered the weekend in a four-way tie for first in the standings with Wright State, Oakland and Detroit at 3-1.
“It’s obviously gigantic,” Gottlieb said. “This is going to be a great litmus test of where we are and what we need to accomplish to win in this league. You have really, really physical teams, and the games are won and lost on the boards.
“We are massively improved, but there have been three letdown games – Campbell, Wright State and Robert Morris – on the boards. They are athletic, probably more athletic position to position than we are. They recruit to their style, they play to their style, they play really, really hard. That’s what I respect about their program. We will find out what we are collectively made of.”
Gottlieb hopes fans come out for the game and make the Kress a difficult environment for the Panthers.
An announced crowd of 2,135 showed up for the showdown at the Resch Center last season.
“It’s a Monday, the Packers game really doesn’t mean anything, you get ready for the wild-card weekend,” Gottlieb said. “You want a good basketball game, it’s right there at the Kress. It’s a great atmosphere for college basketball. There should be 4,000 butts in the seats, drinking beer (on $2 beer night) and wearing green.
“Those are my expectations. I told the Fort Wayne staff this, I think they do a really good job, and by and large, people don’t show up in a basketball state. I think that sucks. That’s a good program. The reason Green Bay can be the best job in this league is people care. They like basketball. Every person I come up to goes, ‘Man, I used to go with my dad to Brown County and watch Coach Buss’ team or Coach Bennett’s team.’ OK. So, grab your son or daughter, your wife, your girlfriend, and come and have a good night. Our guys will compete.”
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: UWGB men prepare for in-state rival after big Horizon League road win
Continue reading...
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay men’s basketball team continued its turnaround under second-year coach Doug Gottlieb with one of its best performances of the season in a 72-54 victory at Purdue Fort Wayne on Jan. 1.
UWGB jumped out to a 15-0 advantage and held the Mastodons without a point for the first 7 minutes, 37 seconds.
It was a wire-to-wire victory for the second time in the last three games after the Phoenix did the same against UC Santa Barbara on Dec. 17.
How impressive was the win over PFW?
The Mastodons (8-8) entered 7-0 at home this season and 19-2 since the beginning of 2024-25.
UWGB’s defense held PFW to its fewest points since it had 48 against Pittsburgh in December 2023 and the fewest points in a Horizon League game since putting up 50 against Northern Kentucky in February 2023.
The Mastodons scored 28.9 points below their season average after entering third in the Horizon League at 82.9 a contest.
Former Phoenix guard Jeremy Pfister, who played at UWGB from 1996 to 2000, watched his alma mater lose last season at PFW by 15 points.
He was invited into the locker room after this one, and while off to the side with the coaching staff, he probably sounded like any other Phoenix fan right now after enduring a 4-28 season in 2024-25.
“He’s like, ‘What have you been doing?’” said Gottlieb, whose team improved to 7-8 and has won three of its last four. “I go, ‘We have been coaching.’ He goes, ‘You look so much better.’
“Yeah, it’s a whole different deal. Look, let’s be honest. We caught them on a bad day. If we catch them on the day they beat Notre Dame (72-69 on Dec. 21), they get that ball popping and driving on you and hitting 3s and talking (smack), they are hard to play against. It’s not going to be easy when they come back to the Kress.”
Of course, it won’t be easy for PFW if UWGB plays like this again.
It had plenty of big performances during a game in which it featured a smaller lineup, with senior guard Justin Allen leading the way with 21 points while shooting 6-for-10 overall and 8-for-8 from the line.
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The two forwards that did play big minutes performed well, too, with the combo of Marcus Hall and Caden Wilkins combining for 32 points, 17 rebounds and 10-for-18 shooting.
UWGB even survived an extended absence in the second half from senior point guard and team leader Preston Ruedinger. Gottlieb wasn’t sure if it was an injury or if Ruedinger was suffering from cramps, which also happened late in a loss to Robert Morris last month.
“The big thing is, we came ready to play,” Gottlieb said. “Started Caden Wilkins, started Justin Allen. Obviously, gives us a little bit more offensive scoring pop, but we had to really lock in. (PFW is) incredibly talented. That’s as talented of a basketball team at this level as you are going to find. Notre Dame couldn’t guard them at all.”
UWGB prepares for in-state rival
The Phoenix will get another big test when it hosts UW-Milwaukee on Jan. 5 at the Kress Center.
The Panthers were picked as the top team in the Horizon preseason poll and entered the weekend in a four-way tie for first in the standings with Wright State, Oakland and Detroit at 3-1.
“It’s obviously gigantic,” Gottlieb said. “This is going to be a great litmus test of where we are and what we need to accomplish to win in this league. You have really, really physical teams, and the games are won and lost on the boards.
“We are massively improved, but there have been three letdown games – Campbell, Wright State and Robert Morris – on the boards. They are athletic, probably more athletic position to position than we are. They recruit to their style, they play to their style, they play really, really hard. That’s what I respect about their program. We will find out what we are collectively made of.”
Gottlieb hopes fans come out for the game and make the Kress a difficult environment for the Panthers.
An announced crowd of 2,135 showed up for the showdown at the Resch Center last season.
“It’s a Monday, the Packers game really doesn’t mean anything, you get ready for the wild-card weekend,” Gottlieb said. “You want a good basketball game, it’s right there at the Kress. It’s a great atmosphere for college basketball. There should be 4,000 butts in the seats, drinking beer (on $2 beer night) and wearing green.
“Those are my expectations. I told the Fort Wayne staff this, I think they do a really good job, and by and large, people don’t show up in a basketball state. I think that sucks. That’s a good program. The reason Green Bay can be the best job in this league is people care. They like basketball. Every person I come up to goes, ‘Man, I used to go with my dad to Brown County and watch Coach Buss’ team or Coach Bennett’s team.’ OK. So, grab your son or daughter, your wife, your girlfriend, and come and have a good night. Our guys will compete.”
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: UWGB men prepare for in-state rival after big Horizon League road win
Continue reading...
