For the second time this year, the Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball team saw a double-digit lead disappear at the Kress Events Center, but this time held on to beat the UC-Santa Barbara Gauchos 67-64.
The Phoenix got out to a fast start, scoring 15 of the game's first 19 points and held on to a 42-30 lead at the break thanks in part to hitting 10 three-pointers in the first half. In the second half, the Gauchos got it to within two points before a 9-2 Phoenix run stretch the proceedings out again. The Gauchos had a chance to tie the game late, but the Phoenix defense trusted themselves to get the job done without fouling and forced them to take a shot after the final buzzer sounded.
Marcus Hall led the Phoenix (6-7) with a season-high 25 points while Preston Ruedinger added eight points and Ramel Bethea, Keegan Van Kauwenberg, and Mac Wrecke each chipped in six points.
After the game, head coach Doug Gottlieb announced he was stepping away from his radio show to focus on his head coaching duties and his family.
The Phoenix will play its final non-conference game on December 23rd at Campbell.
