CORAPOLIS, Pa. (Interstat) — In a grinding, defensive struggle defined by a disastrous start, the Green Bay Phoenix women’s basketball team mounted a monumental comeback to edge the Robert Morris Colonials 61-58 in a Horizon League contest Thursday afternoon at the Charles L. Sewall Center.

The game turned on a nightmarish first quarter for the visiting Phoenix, who managed just two points while committing eight turnovers. Robert Morris, capitalizing on the offensive drought and miscues, built a commanding 19-2 lead by the end of the period. Bailey Kuhns, the Colonials’ forward from Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, spearheaded the early surge, scoring nine of her team-high 18 points in the opening frame.

Green Bay, however, displayed the resilience that has them atop the league standings. The Phoenix erupted in the second quarter, outscoring Robert Morris 26-11 to claw back into the game. A 15-2 run to close the half, fueled by balanced scoring and tightened defense, cut the Colonial lead to just 30-28 at intermission.

The second half settled into a tense, physical battle with neither team leading by more than five points. Green Bay finally drew even at 35-35 on a Jenna Guyer three-pointer midway through the third quarter, setting the stage for a back-and-forth final 15 minutes.

The most critical sequence of the game unfolded in the final minute. With Green Bay clinging to a 58-56 lead after a Maddy Skorupski jumper, Robert Morris had a chance to tie or take the lead. With 37 seconds remaining, Colonial guard Aislin Malcolm drove to the basket, but her layup was blocked by Green Bay’s Meghan Schultz. The Phoenix secured the rebound and, after a timeout, executed a play that resulted in a clutch three-pointer from guard Kamy Peppler with 11 seconds left, pushing the lead to 61-56.

Robert Morris’ Jada Lee answered with a quick layup to make it 61-58 with four seconds left. The Colonials immediately fouled, but Green Bay missed the front end of a one-and-one. Robert Morris secured the rebound and called timeout with 1.1 seconds remaining. On the ensuing inbounds play, Lee’s driving layup attempt at the buzzer was contested and missed, sealing the Phoenix victory.

The win improved Green Bay to 19-5 overall and solidified its position in the conference. Robert Morris fell to 15-8. Skorupski led the Phoenix with 13 points, six rebounds and four assists. Schultz added 12 points and four rebounds off the bench, while Guyer contributed 12 points, all from beyond the arc.

For Robert Morris, Kuhns finished with 18 points and nine rebounds. Myriam Traore, a junior from Lognes, France, added 16 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Malcolm tallied 15 points, six rebounds and two assists in a game-high 36 minutes.

The game was a stark contrast to the teams’ first meeting on Jan. 4, a 64-43 Green Bay victory. This time, the Colonials’ stifling early defense and Green Bay’s persistent offensive woes made for a dramatically different contest, ultimately decided by a single, critical defensive stop and a timely three-pointer in the final moments.

Green Bay next travels to face Youngstown State on Saturday. Robert Morris will host Milwaukee the same day.