The UW women's basketball team looks to reacquire its winning ways as it heads to Assembly Hall in Champagne, Ill. tonight to face the slumping Fighting Illini. The Badgers (2-9 Big Ten, 8-15 overall) have lost eight of their last ten contests, including their last two, and the Illini (4-7, 12-10) have struggled, losing six straight conference matchups.
In their first meeting, the Illini torched the Kohl Center, connecting on 11 of their 16 3-pointers and dismantling the Badgers 84-54. Illini senior guard Maggie Acuna dished out a Kohl Center-record 16 assists in front of a season-high 9,108 fans.
'They got hot, they got confident and they stuck it to us at our place,' UW head coach Lisa Stone said of the first loss.
Illinois is much better than their record indicates. During their six-game skid, five of their six opponents have been ranked at No. 17 or higher.
Getting into rhythm on the offensive end may be a problem for the Badgers, as the Illini use their quickness in the backcourt to deny the wings hard. Good ball reversal will be key to offsetting their athleticism.
'Illinois is just a scrappy team,' sophomore guard Jolene Anderson said. 'They're going to be at your feet, they are quicker than us on paper, and that's just a fact that we have to realize.'
For UW, free-throw shooting and defense are two areas that need definite improvement. The Badgers are dead last in the Big Ten in free-throw shooting percentage, at just under 65 percent. At Northwestern last Sunday, free-throw shooting proved to be the difference in the game, as the Badgers shot just 7-of-15 from the line in a two-point loss.
Defensively, the Badgers are 10th in the Big Ten in scoring defense, allowing teams to score nearly 70 points per game, and 10th in defensive field goal percentage.
'We need to get stops when we need them and just not give up so many shots,' sophomore guard Janese Banks said.
According to Stone, getting back on defense will be key against the Illini.
'What poses a problem for us is the fact that they're going to really push in transition, and we've got to address defensive transition,' Stone said.
UW seems to be close in several games, but just does not have enough to push itself over the top. The team has stuck together through the season, and the fact that they are playing well and are staying in games is encouraging to Stone.
'We're right there. We're 0-6 in games decided by less than six points, and 0-3 in less than three points,' Stone said. 'We just have to break through, the floodgates need to open for us.'
