As winners of five straight, Wisconsin women’s basketball faced their first big tests Thanksgiving weekend, losing 65-56 to No. 13 Ole Miss and 69-50 to James Madison in the Daytona Beach Classic. The Badgers are now 5-3 on the season.
Wisconsin opened play against Ole Miss, the first ranked team the Badgers have played all season. Wisconsin, locked in a defensive battle, led 10-8 at the end of the first quarter, holding Ole Miss to a 16.7% shooting percentage.
But the Badgers early lead didn’t last long. Wisconsin shot themselves in the foot with turnovers in the second quarter, allowing Ole Miss to take a lead they’d never give up. Wisconsin finished the game with 24 turnovers.
At the end of the fourth quarter, the Badgers showed some fight, bringing the game back within two. But Wisconsin could not get over the hump, as Ole Miss put the Badgers to bed with a 3-pointer from Sira Thienou with 1:19 remaining. A series of successful Ole Miss free throws sealed Wisconsin’s fate, and the Badgers lost 65-56.
The Badgers had a quick turnaround after their tough loss, playing the next day against JMU. Wisconsin kept it close early, trailing 18-17 after one quarter.
But an abysmal second quarter in which Wisconsin shot only 15.8% from the field and 0-for-7 from behind the arc left the Badgers with a daunting 37-23 halftime deficit.
After that, Wisconsin was never able to get back in the game, eventually losing 69-50 to a JMU team that looked far superior.
The Badgers were once again plagued by turnovers, finishing with 14 giveaways. As the season goes on, Wisconsin’s inability to limit turnovers has seriously inhibited them.
In the losses, senior guard Destiny Howell and junior guard Kyrah Daniels continued to emerge as key players. Howell led the Badgers with 14 points against Ole Miss, while Daniels led the way with 18 against JMU. Both players have been essential for Wisconsin this season and will have to continue their leadership as Wisconsin gets into Big Ten play this month, starting with a home matchup with Michigan State on Sunday at 5 p.m.
