SEATTLE, WA - Wisconsin-Green Bay hit 9 of 12 from 3-point range, including six 3-pointers in the first 12 minutes, as the Phoenix defeated UNC Greensboro, 71-48, in the opening round of the 2005 BCA Classic at University of Washington's Bank of America Arena.
Freshman Ryan Tillema scored 18 first-half points for UW-Green Bay.
The Spartans will take on Morgan State in the consolation bracket Monday at 2 pm local time (5 pm ET). Morgan State got drilled by Washington, 118-51, on Sunday evening.
“We didn't shoot the ball well and didn't take good shots, but that is a little to be expected when we have young kids out there,” said coach Mike Dement, who coached the first game of his second coaching tenure at UNCG.
Tillema's sixth 3-pointer of the night pretty much summed up his first half. With six seconds left before halftime, he launched a 25-footer that banked off the glass to go in and give the Phoenix a 39-25 lead going into the locker room.
The two most telling stats of the first half, however, were points off turnovers and points in the paint. A year ago, UNCG scored nearly 50 percent of its points in the paint and did in an exhibition game last week. However, in the first half of Sunday night's game, UNCG did not record a point in the paint and had just one point off of UW-Green Bay miscues.
UNCG got within 13 in the opening minutes of the second half before the Phoenix went on a 10-2 run to put the game out of reach.
Sophomore Kevin Oleksiak led UNCG with 12 points, while sophomore Brian Beckford chipped in with a career-high 10 points. Both players were making their first collegiate starts.
After UNCG scored the first five points to open game, UW-Green Bay ran off 17 in a row, holding the Spartans scoreless for 8:29. Tillema knocked down four three-pointers in the Phoenix' spurt.
UNCG regrouped, however, and cut the deficit to 10 on Beckford's second three-pointer, 24-14. Everson Simmons' first collegiate field goal, a 3-pointer, at 2:41 got the margin to single-digits, 28-20.
The Spartans were playing shorthanded, opening the season without three potential starters. Kyle Hines, Ricky Hickman and Matt Akinosho were suspended from Sunday's contest for playing in an unsanctioned recreation league in the offseason. Hines, the 2005 Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, will return to action on Monday, but Hickman and Akinosho will miss Monday's contest. They will be able to return to action on Tuesday.
As a result, four out of UNCG's five starters made their first collegiate start, including two freshmen. It was the first time UNCG had started two freshmen on opening night since Dec. 1, 1992, when Scott Hartzell and Brian Brunson started for the Spartans against William & Mary.
AGATE
WISCONSIN-GREEN BAY 71, UNC GREENSBORO 48
UNC GREENSBORO (0-1)
Johnson, Dwayne 0-1 0-2 0; Oleksiak, Kevin 5-11 0-0 12; Beckford, Brian 3-6 2-4 10; Tooms, Bart 3-7 3-4 9; Simmons, Everson 1-5 4-6 7; McClenny, David 2-9 0-0 4; Campbell, Marc 0-1 2-2 2; Bernard, Derrick 0-2 2-2 2; Moore, Donald 1-1 0-0 2; Everette, Dustin 0-2 0-0 0; Boddie, Devin 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 15-48 13-20 48.
WISCONSIN-GREEN BAY (1-0)
Tillema, Ryan 6-11 0-0 18; Evans, Terry 5-9 1-5 14; Evanochko, Ryan 4-11 0-0 9; Schachtner, Mike 3-7 2-2 8; Farine, Simon 3-5 0-1 7; Lawrence, Josh 3-5 0-0 7; Morris, Tevah 2-3 0-0 4; Minatee, Aswan 2-2 0-2 4; Barkley, Cordero 0-0 0-0 0; Dearlove, Tim 0-0 0-0 0; Werch, Ryan 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 28-54 3-10 71.
Halftime: UW-Green Bay, 39-25. 3-point goals-UNC Greensboro 5-19 (Oleksiak, Kevin 2-7; Beckford, Brian 2-3; Simmons, Everson 1-3; Campbell, Marc 0-1; Bernard, Derrick 0-1; Boddie, Devin 0-1; Johnson, Dwayne 0-1; McClenny, David 0-1; Tooms, Bart 0-1), Wisconsin-Green Bay 12-18 (Tillema, Ryan 6-10; Evans, Terry 3-3; Farine, Simon 1-1; Lawrence, Josh 1-2; Evanochko, Ryan 1-1; Schachtner, Mike 0-1). Fouled out--UNC Greensboro-None, Wisconsin-Green Bay-None. Rebounds-UNC Greensboro 28 (Tooms, Bart 6), Wisconsin-Green Bay 36 (Schachtner, Mike 7). Assists-UNC Greensboro 9 (McClenny, David 3), Wisconsin-Green Bay 20 (Evanochko, Ryan 7). Total fouls-UNC Greensboro 15, Wisconsin-Green Bay 22. Att: 3976.
- UNCG -
