The Wisconsin women’s basketball team will take its four-game winning streak to Ann Arbor, Mich., Thursday night to take on the Wolverines at the Chrisler Arena. Michigan snatched the first chapter of the season series 79-73 in overtime at the Kohl Center in mid-January.
“We’re going to have to go in there with a very tough mentality, roll up our sleeves and put our gloves on because we’ve got some work to do,” Wisconsin head coach Lisa Stone said. “It’s an environment that we’ve had success in the past, and we’re playing well right now, and hopefully we can keep momentum going.”
Wisconsin (8-8 Big Ten, 15-11 overall) beat Indiana by 30 points a week ago, flanked by road wins at Northwestern and Minnesota. Senior guard Jolene Anderson has averaged 19.5 points and just over seven rebounds per game during the recent tear, while picking up last week’s Big Ten Player of the Week honors.
Michigan (9-7, 16-10) is also hot, enjoying a two-game winning streak over then conference-leading Purdue and Illinois. Last Sunday, the Wolverines managed a 55-52 victory in Champaign, Ill., in which guard Jessica Minnfield scored a career-high 25 points and 18 of the team’s final 21 at Assembly Hall.
Stone is quite familiar with Michigan’s improved offensive intensity, thanks in large part to new head coach Kevin Borseth.
“Kevin has done a great job with them, and their team is much different in terms of offensive threat,” Stone said.
“All their players put a lot of time in the summer,” Stone said. “That was certainly what Kevin talked about when he was hired is that every kid on this team is going to know how to shoot the ball.”
Three Wolverines average double figures in points, with center Krista Phillips leading the team at 10.8 points and six boards per game. Forward Carly Benson and Minnfield each contribute 10 points apiece.
In UW’s last contest against the Wolverines, Michigan center Krista Phillips hit a deep 3-pointer with eight seconds remaining to send the game into overtime. The deflated Badgers then gave up a 7-0 run to start the extra session, and Michigan held on to pick up the road win.
“All of their players will shoot it, including Krista Phillips, who hit one from the motion W to send it into overtime and broke our back the first time,” Stone said. “I think that’s a little added momentum as well.”
Wisconsin holds a 34-17 overall record against the Wolverines and is 15-9 in Ann Arbor. Michigan, which has been near the bottom of the league for several seasons, has jumped out to its best start in seven years. Its 10-1 home record also marks its best since 2000.
