On Thursday the Wisconsin women's basketball team (4-3) faces South Dakota State (4-2) at the Kohl Center.
The Badgers enter the contest on a three-game losing streak and are looking to rebound with a win. Although the Badgers have been losing, they know there are plenty of opportunities to turn things around.
'That's the good thing about basketball,' sophomore guard Janese Banks said. 'There's always another game.'
After a dismal appearance against Marquette, the Badgers knew changes had to be made. In their most recent game against Notre Dame, the Badgers improved their play, but still came out with a loss.
Even with the results, Wisconsin is ready to take on the Jackrabbits.
'We just came off a rough weekend with two losses,' sophomore guard Jolene Anderson said. 'But I think our team is ready to step up and get on the winning track again.'
The overall team morale is surprisingly still high even though the Badgers have not been playing up to the anticipated level. Hopefully, with maintained confidence, Wisconsin can come away with a win.
'The mood is good with our players,' head coach Lisa Stone said. 'We're starting to get healthier and when we come back on the court on Thursday, hopefully you'll see a team that's made the adjustments and come out with the results we're looking for.'
During practice, the Badgers have maintained their intensity and drive, but they know what they need to focus on.
'We continue to emphasize our defensive focus and continue to emphasize the fact that we have to rebound,' coach Stone said.
Not only do the Badgers need to improve defensive play, the team needs to concentrate on their overall play.
'We gotta be sharp with everything we do, but it starts in practice. We have to get the details done right ' we can't have turnovers, we can't go six minutes without scoring, but if we do, we can't have defensive lapses. We have to maintain our sharpness,' Banks said.
The Jackrabbits will prove to be stiff competition for the Badgers. Wisconsin needs to play to the best of its potential and not make mistakes. If the Badgers maintain their focus and keep a positive attitude, hopefully they'll come out with a win.
