The No. 25 Wisconsin women's basketball team (1-0) travels to Milwaukee to take on in-state rival Marquette (1-0) Saturday afternoon in what will be one of the UW's most difficult road games this season.
I think every game for us is an important game, and our non-conference season is very, very tough,"" head coach Lisa Stone said. ""We've got a stretch right here that's pretty intense, and it starts with Marquette.
""We're playing a formidable opponent that we respect a great deal ... we're on the road again. It's not far away, yet one we'll be excited for,"" Stone said.
The 78-mile drive east will pit the Badgers against the Marquette's junior point guard and team leader Krystal Ellis. Ellis paced the Golden Eagle offense with 12 points and four assists in its 82-69 opener over Loyola-Chicago.
""Krystal is a great player, great kid, a success in high school, a young woman that has stepped in right away and found success at Marquette,"" Stone said.
""She's very good off the dribble, handles the ball very well, is their go-to player, and someone we'll be very, very aware of on Saturday.""
Senior All-American candidate and Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year Jolene Anderson led the Badgers with a career-high 37 points and 12 rebounds in Wisconsin's season opener at Cleveland State last Friday.
Wisconsin's depth will also be a factor against Marquette, as Stone's highly touted underclassmen have already made an impact this season. Sophomore starting point guard Rae Lin D'Alie chipped in 10 points and freshman forward Tara Steinbauer added 9 in the win against CSU.
Wisconsin owns an 8-6 series advantage against Marquette but has not defeated the Golden Eagles since 2001.
Marquette, who normally plays at the Al McGuire Center, has moved the game to the Bradley Center which seats over 18,000. Head coach of the Golden Eagles, Terri Mitchell has called for ""a sea of gold"" for the game in hopes of breaking last year's attendance record of 4,000 against Connecticut. Mitchell stated she will donate 1 dollar for every fan over 4,000 at Saturday's game against the Badgers.
""It'll be a great crowd,"" Stone said. ""I think a great environment for women's basketball, both Marquette fans and Wisconsin fans down there. The stage will be set for a great game.
