Wisconsin prevailed against the Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis Jaguars 81-72 at the Kohl Center on Dec. 21 before getting blown out by the No. 7 Mayland Terrapins 97-59 on the road Monday.
IUPUI
Wisconsin picked up the win despite committing 28 turnovers and playing without starting guard Destiny Howell, who was out with a concussion.
After an 11-day break from their last game, the Badgers started the game hot, going on a 9-0 run to start the game. Meanwhile, Wisconsin's defense hounded IUPUI, as the Jaguars went 0-for-7 in the first seven minutes of the game and 1-for-9 in the whole quarter.
The Badgers, though, got into foul trouble early, giving IUPUI easy points from the free throw line. Even with their foul struggles, Wisconsin continued their dominance, leading 19-11 going into the second quarter.
Eight unanswered points from IUPUI quickly tied the game in the first four minutes of the second quarter. This quick resurgence shocked the Badgers, but a 3-pointer with three minutes left by senior guard Lily Krahn helped them regain the lead. However, the Jaguars wouldn’t let up, retaking the lead one minute later. Finally, freshman center Dorja Zaja and senior guard Ronnie Porter hit huge shots to end the quarter, with Porter hitting a three pointer with 16 seconds left, giving Wisconsin a 33-27 lead at half.
The third belonged to Wisconsin guard Breauna Ware, who scored 13 points. Ware hit two three pointers in the first four minutes of the second half, which helped the Badgers reclaim a healthy lead.
Wisconsin had an outstanding offensive performance in the third quarter, scoring 28 points while holding IUPUI to 16. The Badgers brought back old habits, though, as they turned the ball over 19 times in the first three quarters alone and ended up having 28 turnovers by the end of the game. Fortunately, that didn’t hinder their lead too much as they led 61-43 by the end of the quarter.
Wisconsin let off the gas quite significantly during the fourth quarter, allowing the Jaguars to take some control of the game. IUPUI scored 29 points during the fourth quarter, the most in a quarter for either team. The Badgers still were able to maintain a lead, and two 3-pointers from junior guards Laci Steele and Kyrah Daniels with six minutes left sealed the deal. The Badgers eventually closed out the game, winning 81-72.
Despite turnovers continuing to be a recurring issue, the 81-72 win was a solid performance overall for the Badgers, who were without a key player.
Maryland
Maryland humbled the Badgers, racing past Wisconsin by a score of 97-59 at the XFINITY Center in College Park. The loss, which marks the challenge the Badgers will face in their Big Ten schedule, was their 15th straight defeat to Maryland, who they have yet to beat in school history.
Wisconsin started the game miserably, missing their first five shots while committing six turnovers in the first five minutes of action. The Terrapins forced Wisconsin out of their normal offensive scheme, and the Badgers struggled to find efficient shots. The Terrapins, meanwhile, went on a 14-0 run to start the game. Maryland never looked back, relentlessly upping the score and leading 29-8 by the end of the first quarter.
Wisconsin continued to struggle, only scoring four points, all from the free throw line, in the first six minutes of the second quarter. Defensively, the Badgers began to show more composure, and Maryland struggled to adjust to Wisconsin's aggressive play. The Terrapins went cold to start the second quarter, scoring just six points in the first six minutes of the quarter.
Though Wisconsin improved defensively, the Badgers actually worsened offensively, shooting 15.4% from the field compared to 23.1% in the first quarter. Going into halftime, Maryland still held a commanding 43-18 lead over the Badgers.
After having implemented a fast paced offense, the Badgers finally started to acclimate in the second half. This allowed Wisconsin to create shots before Maryland could get set defensively, with the Badgers scoring 22 points in the third quarter.
Maryland, though, didn’t flinch, shooting 64.3% from the field and leaving the Badgers without answers. Even with a better offensive quarter by the Badgers, they still trailed 73-40 by the end of the third quarter, the biggest deficit for them this season.
With such a large deficit, there wasn’t much hope for a comeback for the Badgers in the final quarter, with both teams emptying their benches. Wisconsin was able to compete with the Terrapins in the fourth quarter, though constant fouls continuously cut the flow of play. Maryland still outscored the Badgers, with the game ending in a 97-59 blowout loss for Wisconsin.
The Badgers looked distraught facing Maryland’s talented squad. Their slow start to the game haunted them for the rest of the day, which will be something head coach Robin Pingeton will have to touch on as they head into a difficult Big Ten schedule.
