After not being able to play the championship round in the Pepperdine tournament due to Malibu wildfires, the Wisconsin women's basketball team will be looking to bring some heat to the Virginia Cavaliers Friday in Charlottesville, Va.
It will be the first ACC-Big Ten Challenge for the 2-2 Badgers, who are coming off a 74-57 victory against Ole Miss. Virginia is currently 4-3, and defeated Minnesota 73-62 last week.
Senior guard Jolene Anderson racked up 19 points last game, including three straight 3-pointers during the first half. Anderson's season total for just four games stands at 102 points.
Six-foot-four freshman forward Lin Zastrow made her scoring-debut last week and racked up 11 points and nine rebounds.
Lin Zastrow had a tremendous breakout game against Ole Miss,"" head coach Lisa Stone said. ""The first shot, finally the ball went in the basket, and it's like it opened the floodgates.""
Guard Alyssa Karel is another freshman who has been adjusting to Division I basketball and has 13 points and eight rebounds to show for her four games.
""I think consistently she's bringing some energy,"" Stone said. ""You're the point guard, and they've got the heat coming at you. You played against Ole Miss, they send the house. They put five on her.""
Senior guard Janese Banks scored 11 points and sophomore forward Mariah Dunham scored 14 last week. In addition to Anderson, Banks and Dunham, senior forward Danielle Ward and sophomore guard Rae Lin D'Alie have been starting for the Badgers this season.
Stone attributed the team's success against Ole Miss to UW's ability to play inside the post, share the ball and rebound. Wisconsin edged out Ole Miss 58-34 in rebounds last week. Stone said the team needs to ""take care of the basketball"" and make free throws to compete against Virginia.
Wisconsin currently has the lowest free throw percentage in the Big Ten at 62.2 percent, but last season it set the Big Ten school free throw record.
Virginia's leading four scorers have accumulated between 80 and 107 points this season. Stone mentioned Virginia's 6'3' center Aisha Mohammed as a great inside player. Mohammed has grabbed 67 rebounds so far this season.
""I think there are stereotypes of the Big Ten on the women's side for being, you know, maybe more high-low, more banging, physical, a slower game, and the ACC being a little quicker, more athletic,"" Stone said.
""It's going to be transition basketball, push the tempo and get to the rim on the offensive glass.""
- uwbadgers.com contributed to this report.
