After snapping a seven-game losing streak at home on Sunday, UW (1-7 Big Ten, 8-13 overall) secured its first Big Ten win against Northwestern. The Badgers now sit with one conference win and hope to expand upon that as they hit the road to take on Indiana (2-6, 9-12) on Wednesday.
Junior forward Marsha Howard emerged as a dominant force in the Northwestern game, as Howard scored 21 points, eclipsing the 20-point plateau for the third time this season. Howard was responsible for carrying most of Wisconsin’s weight, especially considering six of her 21 points came within the final two minutes of play fourth quarter.
The Badgers have struggled throughout a majority of the season to efficiently close out close games. However, in Sunday’s victory UW was able to keep its composure during a period of extreme pressure and go on a 14-point run to obtain its first conference win.
Looking towards the Indiana game, though, the Hoosiers have not gotten off to the best start in conference play either, but they too are coming off a Big Ten win against Michigan. Indiana’s top scorer, Tyra Buss, was back in action as she finished the night with 28 points and surpassed the 2,000-point milestone for her career. In addition to Buss’ performance, freshman Jaelynn Penn was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week after showing her ability to be a serious threat by averaging 15.5 points over the past four games.
As is evident, the Badgers will have to lock down Buss and Penn as they lead Indiana on the perimeter , while also matching up down low against senior Amanda Cahill who is not only a threat behind the arc, but who also knows her way around the paint. Cahill is looking to close in on her 1,000th rebound during Wednesday’s game.
Wisconsin’s offense also poses a challenge though, as the Badgers currently have four players — Courtney Fredrickson, Suzanne Gilreath, Cayla McMorris and Howard — who are averaging double-digit points during Big Ten play. With such a significant range of scoring outlets, UW has options, whether it be behind the arc, off the dribble or in the post to get the ball in the basket.
Both UW and Indiana are seeking another Big Ten win and build on their weekend momentum. Second chance opportunities will again be crucial as will Wisconsin’s production from Howard, McMorris and Fredrickson.
Tipoff for Wednesday’s game is 6 p.m.
