In principle, free throws are supposed to be, well, free. They are undefended and unimpeded by defenders. But nothing for Wisconsin (1-2) in its 87-64 loss against the Dayton Flyers (3-0) came free, especially its free throws.
The Badgers shot 52 percent from the charity stripe merely days removed from shooting an equally dismal 57 percent from the line in their loss to Drake earlier this week.
But their free throw woes were far from the Badgers’ only self-inflicted wound. Sunday afternoon, they committed a season-high 26 turnovers, which translated into 38 points for the Flyers.
Before the season, coach Bobbie Kelsey said that her team’s target turnover number is 14, but she even admitted that was a bit much.
For the second straight game, the Badgers’ perimeter woes proved to be the difference. They struggled defending the perimeter, allowing the Flyers to shoot 48 percent from beyond the arc. Flyers’ senior guard Kelley Austria made one fewer 3-pointer (four) than the entire Badger team (five). Austria, though, took only six shots compared to the Badgers’ 20.
Defensive communication has been a major issue for the Badgers in their first three games. But Sunday, one of the reasons for the aforementioned defensive struggles was due to foul trouble. Senior Dakota Whyte, who in the first two games of the season performed admirably, played a mere 17 minutes because of foul trouble. Whyte eventually fouled out late in the fourth quarter, finishing with four points and one assist.
Fellow senior guard Nicole Bauman had one of the worst games in her career, finishing with three points, four rebounds and three turnovers in only 23 minutes of play.
The bright spot for the Badgers Sunday afternoon was sophomore guard Cayla McMorris, who tied her career high with 17 points in 28 minutes. McMorris led the team in shot attempts as well as 3-point shooting. The difference for McMorris this season has been her adjustment to the speed of the game.
“I feel like coming in, having a year under my belt now, I know how intense the game is and what to expect from the game,” McMorris said earlier in the week.
McMorris hopes to build on her own success as well as help the Badgers’ improve their overall play as the team travels to San Diego, Calif., to face Delaware and San Diego State, respectively, Nov. 27 and 29.
