If ever there was a time for the UW women's basketball team to refuse to lose, it could not have come at a better point. In their third game of the 2007 WNIT Tournament, the Badgers overcame a 14-point second half deficit to beat Virginia 84-78 in front of an electric crowd of more than 3,100 at the Kohl Center Sunday afternoon.
The game was certainly a testament to the team's endurance. With under 15 minutes remaining in the game, a layup by Virginia senior forward Lyndra Littles put the Cavaliers up 57-43 and forced Wisconsin to take a timeout to regroup.
""I knew we wouldn't quit,"" junior guard Janese Banks said. ""It was part of the game. [Assistant coach Tasha McDowell] looked over at me and she was like, ‘Now or never. Now's the time to win or the season is over.' So we came together.""
Sparked by seven points from Banks and a pair of five-point contributions from junior guard Jolene Anderson and junior forward Danielle Ward, Wisconsin went on a 20-8 run to pull within two at 63-65.
Arguably the most pivotal point in the game came when the Badgers were down 70-68 with 3:19 left in the game. A charging call on guard Sharnee Zoll got Virginia assistant coach Jeff House riled up and resulted in a technical foul on the Cavalier bench. Anderson made both ensuing free throws to tie the game at 70, creating a huge momentum swing. The Badgers proceeded to make two defensive stops, while freshman point guard Rae Lin D'Alie added a tough layup and Anderson hit an impressive 3-point basket as the shot clock expired to put the Badgers up 75-70.
""My assistant coach, Jeff House, got a technical and I guess just lost control,"" Virginia head coach Debbie Ryan said. ""It was the turning point in the game, absolutely ... it was a very untimely and uncharacteristic technical.""
One player who did not stand out statistically in the game but made a crucial impact on the court was UW freshman guard Teah Gant. Gant finished with only seven points and three assists, but she closed out the first half with a big 3-point shot and contributed two clutch free throws in the 14-point second half comeback.
""Certainly I think Teah Gant is someone we have to talk about,"" UW head coach Lisa Stone said. ""She got to the rim, she gave us tremendous lift, ran the point for us a little bit, played out of position, but really garnered that award that I gave her to get out there and play. [She] gives us length and athleticism also defensively.""
The win rewrites numerous records in the team's annals. This year's squad broke the record for most wins in a season with 22 and most home wins with 16. Anderson tied her career-high in single game scoring with 30 points against the Cavaliers, a record that she first set against Arkansas State last Sunday. Perhaps most importantly, the victory gives Stone and all her players a perfect 3-0 career record in the postseason.
""Everybody believed that they were going to win the game, in every time out, even when we were down and trailing,"" Stone said. ""Nobody gave up and that's a key thing with this team. They're fighters, they want to win. [We're] just one step closer to a tremendous accomplishment, and to know we're playing at home on Wednesday is exciting.""
