GREEN BAY — The Wisconsin in-state battle in women’s college basketball had a little extra local flavor on Dec. 14. While the host UW-Green Bay Phoenix upended the Badgers 70-60, the game featured three local stars, including pitting two former Black Hawk Warriors against each other.
Bailey Butler, a sophomore guard for UWGB and Black Hawk’s all-time leading scorer, started and scored 15 points for the Phoenix. She was just 2-for-6 from the field but was a perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line and grabbed six rebounds.
Her former high school teammate, Wisconsin junior guard Natalie Leuzinger, also received a start — playing 26 minutes and tying a season-high with five points after hitting both her shot attempts. In fact, Leuzinger and Butler guarded each other during portions of the game.
Monroe graduate and senior Badger guard Sydney Hilliard came off the bench, playing 22 minutes and scored two points with six rebounds. Hilliard was playing in her fifth game of the season after missing the first eight games due to preseason knee surgery.
Hilliard is averaging 6.2 points per game since her return. Leuzinger has averaged 2 points per game in eight contests. Butler is averaging 6.6 points per game this season.
The Badgers led 11-10 after the first quarter, but UWGB grabbed a narrow 29-28 advantage at halftime. A buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Callie Genke closed out the third quarter to give the Phoenix a 44-38 lead headed into the fourth.
UWGB kept the momentum throughout much of the fourth, going ahead by 12 points at the 7:42 mark and then by 13 with 5:37 to play.
Leuzinger drained a three with 5:21 to play, to bring the difference back to 10. Wisconsin out-scored UWGB by 18-15 over the final 5 1/2 minutes of the game, and got back to within six points with 47 seconds left on a triple by Avery LaBarbera. Butler then hit four free throws in the final minute, and her teammates added three more to stave off the Badgers’ comeback attempt.
The Phoenix shot 40% from the field in the game, but just 23.8% from three and 77.8% from the line. Wisconsin hit 34.6% of its shots, plus 28% from deep and 89.5% from the stripe. Julie Pospisilova led the Badgers with 18 points, while Brooke Schramek added 16 and LaBarbera 10. Maddy Schreiber led UWGB with 19 points, followed by Butler’s 15 and Sydney Levy’s 13.
Wisconsin drops to 4-9 overall, while UWGB is 6-3. The Badgers host Valparaiso on Dec. 22 before closing out 2022 at home against Illinois on Dec. 29. The Phoenix will be at Illinois State on Dec. 18, then host Chicago State on Dec. 21.
