By Rich Palzewic
Sports Editor
GREEN BAY – With Wright State winning the Horizon League regular-season and tournament titles a season ago, the UW-Green Bay women’s basketball team was in unfamiliar territory.
It broke a streak of four consecutive trips to the NCAA Division I National Tournament for the Phoenix.
“It’s a long year, and it takes so many things to be successful over the course of time,” said head coach Kevin Borseth, whose team finished 22-10 a year ago. “We will have a new identity this year with all-new lead guards on the floor.”
Prior to last year’s hiatus at the top, Green Bay had received the automatic bid into the national tournament seven of the previous eight seasons.
The Phoenix opens the regular season by traveling to Central Michigan for a non-conference game Nov. 6.
“They have a new coach but the same players,” Borseth said of the Chippewas. “Playing there will be a difficult challenge. They made it to the Sweet 16 of the national tournament in 2018. Our whole preseason is filled with games like that – we better grow up in a hurry.”
The home-opener is Nov. 9 against South Dakota.
Green Bay begins its 18-game conference season Dec. 28 by hosting Northern Kentucky.
Other home highlights include non-conference games against Missouri (Nov. 16), Marquette (Nov. 19), De Paul (Dec. 7) and South Dakota State (Dec. 21).
Borseth said his team didn’t play particularly well in a 54-41 win over Division II Michigan Tech Oct. 24 in an exhibition game.
“We scored seven points in the third quarter and nine points in the fourth quarter,” he said. “It wasn’t anything Tech did to us – we didn’t score. We also missed 16 free throws, which is extremely concerning. We haven’t shot free throws well for the last five seasons. We had 19 turnovers, too. We didn’t play with any flow.”
The Phoenix will again rely on its defense.
“Your offense helps your defense,” Borseth said. “If you don’t throw the ball away, that immediately gives you eight or 10 more points a game. Also, if you score, it puts more pressure on the opposition to score. Your offense and defense have to complement each other.”
Green Bay lost seniors Laken James, Jen Wellnitz and Carly Mohns due to graduation.
The trio accounted for a shade more than 24 points and 12 rebounds per outing.
Returning seniors are Frankie Wurtz (10.5 points per game), Mackenzie Wolf (5.1) and Madison Wolf (8.2).
Madison Wolf will also be counted on for her rebounding after averaging 7.1 boards a game in 2018-19.
Juniors on this year’s squad include Caitlyn Hibner, Meghan Pingel, Lyndsey Robson (7) and Anna Dier.
Hibner missed the entire 2018-19 season with an injury.
Hailey Oskey (6.1) Anna Brecht and Karly Murphy are sophomore returnees.
Patricia Gallasova is a redshirt freshman back for her second season, while Brooklyn Blackburn, Julia Hartwig and Cassie Schiltz are first-year freshmen.
Oskey (Seymour), Schiltz (Luxemburg-Casco), Wurtz (Kimberly) and Dier (Algoma) give the team a local connection.
2019-20 UW-Green Bay women’s basketball schedule
11/6 – @ Central Michigan – 6 p.m.
11/9 – South Dakota – 1 p.m.
11/16 – Missouri – 1 p.m.
11/19 – Marquette – 7 p.m.
11/23 – @ Chicago State – 2 p.m.
11/28 – @ Victoria Invitational (Canada) vs. Bowling Green – 1 p.m.
11/29 – @ Victoria Invitational vs. Mississippi State/San Francisco – TBA
11/30 – @ Victoria Invitational – TBA
12/7 – De Paul – 1 p.m.
12/13 – @ Maine – 6 p.m.
12/15 – @ Marist – 11 a.m.
12/21 – South Dakota State – 4 p.m.
12/28 – Northern Kentucky * – 1 p.m.
12/30 – Wright State * – 7 p.m.
1/4 – Milwaukee * – 1 p.m.
1/9 – @ Oakland * – 6 p.m.
1/11 – @ Detroit Mercy * – 12 p.m.
1/17 – IUPUI * – 7 p.m.
1/19 – UIC * – 1 p.m.
1/24 – @ Youngstown State * – 6 p.m.
1/26 – @ Cleveland State * – 1 p.m.
1/30 – @ Wright State * – 6 p.m.
2/1 – @ Northern Kentucky * – 1 p.m.
2/8 – @ Milwaukee * – 2 p.m.
2/14 – Detroit Mercy * – 7 p.m.
2/16 – Oakland * – 1 p.m.
2/21 – @ UIC * – 11 a.m.
2/23 – @ IUPUI * – 1 p.m.
2/27 – Cleveland State * – TBA
2/29 – Youngstown State * – 2 p.m.
3/4 – Horizon League Tournament – first round – TBA (campus sites)
3/5 – Horizon League Tournament – quarterfinals – TBA (campus sites)
3/9 – Horizon League Tournament – semifinals –TBA (Indiana Farmers Coliseum)
3/10 – Horizon League Tournament – championship – TBA (Indiana Farmers Coliseum)
* Horizon League game