The Wisconsin women's basketball team will bring its five-game winning streak back to the Kohl Center Tuesday night as it hosts in-state rival Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Although Wisconsin (5-1) owns the series record 18-3, UW-Milwaukee (3-2) is riding a win streak of its own with three consecutive victories over Air Force, SIU-Edwardsville and Northern Illinois University.
They're going to come after us,"" Stone said. ""They're a nice team. They've got a lot of seniors. They know what to expect. They're well-coached, and they'll be athletic on the perimeter and they've got a big post inside. We've got to be ready to play and lace it up.""
Senior center Traci Edwards has dominated on the inside for the Panthers, averaging 19.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game this season. A preseason All-Horizon League selection, Edwards needs just 15 points to break the overall points record at UWM.
Edwards is also receiving some attention on a national scale as an All-American candidate.
""Traci Edwards is the real deal,"" Stone said. ""She really can play inside '¦ They're going to run a four-out, one-in offense. The ball's going to touch her hands.""
The Badgers, last weekend's Paradise Jam Tournament champions, are looking to keep up the momentum after eking out a 59-58 upset win over No. 6 Baylor in the tournament final.
""It tells us what we can play with the best in the country,"" Stone said of the upset win. ""You stick to the game plan, stay solid, stay together, do what we do. That's really what we try to tell our players as well, is let's not get too wrapped up in what the other team is doing.""
Wisconsin is led by sophomore guard Alyssa Karel, who averages 12.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Leading the Badgers with 44 points in the tournament, Karel was also named the Paradise Jam's Most Valuable Player last weekend after hitting the game winning shot against Baylor.
""I think Alyssa's got certainly a lot to her game,"" Stone said. ""She can get to the basket, she can go mid-range, she can extend it; she's a good ball handler, a really nice passer.""
Although Karel is the only Badger averaging double figures so far this season, Stone has seen how this year's squad is able to create from any position.
""Alyssa has capabilities, certainly, of doing some great things for us, but she knows she doesn't have to,"" Stone said. ""If a team wants to take Alyssa away, somebody else will step up and that's what's exciting about our team without any superstars '¦ I saw the stat sheet over these last three games and that's real encouraging.""
Three different Badgers have led the team in scoring in the first six games of the season, and seven have already scored in double figures at least once this season.
""I think what you're looking at is a complete team, really, truly,"" Stone said. ""Offensively, we're moving the ball very, very well in the games that we played in the Virgin Islands.
""We have the ability to score, it's just that we don't have any superstars and we don't need that. The identity on a defensive end certainly is that we are working together as a team and playing very solid defensively, which is then carrying over, the same mentality on the offensive end.""
Tuesday night's matchup will tip off at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.
