Just like a Drew Carey improv comedy show, it was all made up, and the points did not really matter.
That is not to say the Wisconsin women's basketball team didn't
learn a few things in their season-opening, 82-53 exhibition win
against Winona State Thursday night at the Kohl Center, though.
The Badgers accrued an injury to pre-season all Big Ten pick and
guard senior Alyssa Karel that could prove important as the team
continues on into the regular season.
With just over a minute to play in the first half, Karel began
limping to the sideline with an injury to her left leg. Head coach
Lisa Stone admitted she really did not see exactly what happened to
Karel.
""She was by herself, there was no contact,"" Stone said. ""It
looked like she just pivoted in the lane. She drove and pulled up
and that's all I saw.""
Although Karel left immediately for the locker room under the
support of two staff members, she came out at the beginning of the
second half with an ice bag taped around her left knee but a smile
on her face. Stone appeared somewhat relieved after the game, and
the injury does not appear too serious. Karel will sit out the
team's final exhibition game this Sunday, however.
""Alyssa is going to be OK,"" said Stone. ""We'll be
optimistic.""
Karel's exit, however, gave a great opportunity for one freshman to
shine in her Badger debut. Guard Morgan Paige saw 24 minutes of
action on the court, taking advantage of every one of them with 12
points, three blocks, and a perfect 3/3 mark from the charity
stripe.
""I was really nervous,"" Paige admitted. ""I kind of just went with the flow and didn't force anything crazy. It's a whole new level, it was fun.""
Paige, or ‘Mo' as her teammates call her, had plenty of company on
the court throughout the night in the form of her fellow freshmen
teammates, Cassie Rochel and Jada Buggs.
Rochel finished the evening with four points, all of them coming
from the free throw line. The Lakeville, Minn. Native also
collected two rebounds on a night when her team racked up a total
of 41 boards.
Buggs, meanwhile, saw just eight minutes on the court, but played
solid basketball late for the Badgers, finishing with two
rebounds.
""I was really proud of all of our freshmen,"" senior forward Tara
Steinbauer said. ""I thought they stepped in there and handled
themselves with a great deal of poise and confidence and
patience.""
Steinbauer led the team in scoring on the night with 15 points,
while grabbing 10 rebounds for the double-double.
The Badgers were never really in jeopardy Thursday evening.
The Warriors certainly played well, taking advantage of shot opportunities when they had them. Winona State, a Division II team who finished 17-11 last year in the NSIC, played without fear, even if their style was reckless at times.
In the end, Wisconsin simply played solid basketball, and although
it was just an exhibition, reminded the Big Ten conference and the
rest of the country that they are still one of the best defensive
teams in the nation.
The Badgers will have one more opportunity to polish their skills
in preparation for the regular season when the team faces
UW-Superior at home Sunday afternoon. Stone and her players will
definitely look to maximize that game and the next week to make
certain this is a team heading into the regular season at its
peak.
""We can be way better,"" Stone said. ""We can be a lot
better.""
