The Wisconsin women’s basketball team (3-3) will look to keep rolling at home against UW-Milwaukee (2-3) Tuesday night at the Kohl Center. After playing four of its first five games on the road, the matchup against the Panthers will be Wisconsin’s second of a five-game home series.
“We’ve traveled all of November and it’s time for us to be home for a bit,” head coach Lisa Stone Monday in her weekly press conference said.
Senior guard Jolene Anderson has played like the Big Ten Player of the Year, averaging a team-high 24.3 points and 8.5 rebounds in her first six games. Senior guard Janese Banks has also pitched in, averaging 13 points and 1.8 steals for the Badgers.
“Jolene [Anderson] has been as consistent as it gets,” Stone said. “Janese Banks is finding her rhythm right now … they know they’ve got a nice freshman class with some abilities and a very strong sophomore class that saw a lot of action last year. We’re looking for the continuity to continue to click.”
The Panthers are led by preseason conference player of the year, junior center Traci Edwards.
Edwards, awarded POY by the Horizon League, provides a strong inside presence for the Panthers and averages 19.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.
“She’s the real deal,” Stone said. “I know that ball’s going into Edwards, she’s going to touch it each time. I think it’s certainly a priority and you can see it with her stats.
“[UWM head coach Sandy Botham] has a blue collar team; they’re going to play very hard and make a presence inside and go at us inside and it will be a competitive game.”
Freshman forward Tara Steinbauer might be Wisconsin’s answer for Edwards in the post after proving herself Sunday against IPFW.
“It’s early in the season and we’re trying to find some spark,” Stone said. “I thought Tara Steinbauer gave us great energy early on.”
Steinbauer is coming off the first start of her young career in the cardinal and white in which she scored a career-high 16 points and grabbed six rebounds against the Mastodons.
“It really gave us a boost of energy and instilled some confidence with other players,” Stone said. “To have another scorer, particularly one in the post area, really helps us and takes the pressure off our guards.”
Steinbauer scored Wisconsin’s first seven points of the game Sunday and finished 7-for-9 from the floor.
“She has great hands, she’s great at the five [position],” Stone said. “Tara Steinbauer right now is our best finisher in side. She catches and she finishes.”
The Badgers and Panthers tip off at 7 p.m.
