The Green Bay women’s basketball team opened its season with a dominant 72 to 34 exhibition victory over UW Platteville on Saturday at the Kress Events Center.

While the result will not count toward either team’s record, it was a promising start for a Phoenix squad coming off a trip to the NCAA Tournament where they fell in the first round to Alabama.

Green Bay showcased its depth and new talent early. The offseason brought several impactful additions including transfers Gracie Grzesk from UW Madison, Maddy Skorupski from Oakland, and Carley Duffney from South Dakota. All three earned the start and combined for 29 points.

UW Platteville’s Ella Mackiewicz led all scorers with 17 points, going 7 for 16 from the field and 1 for 5 from three. Grzesk paced Green Bay with 14 points on an efficient 6 for 10 shooting performance including 1 for 3 from deep. Megan Schultz came off the bench to add 10 points, hitting 4 of 8 shots.

While the Phoenix offense looked sharp, it was their defense that set the tone. Green Bay forced 27 turnovers and turned them into 32 points, including 18 in transition. Skorupski led the charge defensively with four steals of her own.

Overall, the exhibition served as a strong tune up for the Phoenix, who will face another Division III opponent, UW Stevens Point, in their first official game of the season on November 3 at the Kress Center. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.