Sports - The Daily Cardinal

SPORTS

Wisconsin hopes to slow down young, speedy Hawkeyes

By Ben Pickman | Mar. 1, 2017

Even with four seniors set to play in their final home game of their careers later this week, the No. 22 Wisconsin Badgers (11-5 Big Ten, 22-7 overall) are never too experienced to go back to basics. After two road losses last week to Ohio State and Michigan State in which UW surrendered more than 80 points, Wisconsin is re-emphasizing some of its basic principles on defense as they look to rebound Thursday at home against Iowa (8-8, 16-13), a young team with high potential. While the Badgers might have tied a season-high for points allowed Sunday in their 84-74 loss to Michigan State, head coach Greg Gard actually saw improvement in his team’s defense. Gard noted that UW’s aggressiveness and physicality was better than it was in their 83-73 loss to Ohio State Thursday.

Cayla McMorris and the rest of her senior class look to take advantage of their final shot at a postseason run Wednesday against Northwestern.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Big Ten tournament preview: Wisconsin looks to extend campaign after rough regular season

By Cal Larsen | Mar. 1, 2017

Wisconsin’s women’s basketball team most definitely did not exceed any expectations this season.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Monday press conference: Tsipis, Granato preview upcoming week

By Noa Rubnitz | Feb. 28, 2017

Women's basketball After closing the season by splitting a pair of games last week, head coach Jonathan Tsipis saw the Badger’s progression as an important accomplishment heading into the Big Ten Tournament.

SPORTS

Badgers end regular season with loss to Iowa, turn attention to Big Ten tournament

By Isaiah De los Santos | Feb. 28, 2017

Coming off their first back-to-back wins of the season, the Badgers were already en route to ending the season on a high note.

Cannon Clifton broke eight school records in Columbus last weekend.

SPORTS

Clifton headlines strong Badger performance at Big Ten meet

By Kelly Ward | Feb. 27, 2017

Cannon Clifton knew his senior season was going to be big after his breakout performance at last summer’s U.S.

SOFTBALL

Badgers continue to roll, take four of five in Florida

By Andrew Guckes | Feb. 27, 2017

The Badgers’ stellar start to the 2017 campaign continued this past weekend in Fort Myers, Fla., at the Sheraton Invitational.

MEN'S TENNIS

Badgers best No. 43 Clemson behind O'Hoisin, fall to No. 24 Cornell

By Will Stern | Feb. 27, 2017

This past weekend was a mixed bag for the Wisconsin men’s tennis team. Against the No. 43 Clemson Tigers (8-4 overall), the No. 31 Badgers (6-2) ran away with a 4-1 victory on Saturday.

As a sophomore, Showalter helped UW to a national title game. As a senior, he hopes to do so one more time.

BASKETBALL

Showtime: Showalter’s tireless motor takes center stage for UW

By Ben Pickman | Feb. 27, 2017

For years, in the driveway outside of Zak Showalter’s house in Germantown, Wis., the Badger guard played basketball with a clear disadvantage.

COLUMNS

Mondays with Rasty: Badgers must right ship before March

By Zach Rastall | Feb. 27, 2017

Postseason play is only two games away, and the Wisconsin Badgers look like a team with an identity crisis. A loss to Michigan State—the Badgers’ fourth in their last five games—denied them a tie with Purdue atop the Big Ten standings.

Wisconsin's Ethan Happ (22) goes up for a layup during the game against Illinois at State Farm Center on Tuesday, January 31.

BASKETBALL

Badgers continue to stumble, this time in East Lansing

By Thomas Valtin-Erwin | Feb. 26, 2017

It had been 13 years since the Badgers bested Michigan State at the Breslin Center. Finally, with a Spartan team struggling to win games and without their senior leader Eron Harris, UW had a shot to break a nine-game road losing streak to MSU. But Sunday afternoon, Harris was on the floor and the No. 16 Badgers (11-5 Big Ten, 22-7 overall) dropped their tenth straight game in East Lansing, Mich., to an explosive Spartans team (10-6, 18-11). Though Harris played just eight seconds as he rested with season-ending knee surgery, there was a different energy in the building for his senior night.

HOCKEY

Badgers split marquee matchup with No. 4 Minnesota

By Bobby Ehrlich | Feb. 26, 2017

In what was probably its most highly anticipated series in years, No. 19 Wisconsin (11-5-0 Big Ten, 18-11-1 overall) came away with a key win and a heartbreaking loss in the Border Battle against No. 4 Minnesota (12-4-0, 21-9-2) for Big Ten supremacy.

Kendra Van Leeuwen contributed across the board as UW earned its first conference win of the season.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Badgers end home season on high note

By Cal Larsen | Feb. 26, 2017

It all came together Wednesday night for the Badgers, as they ended their home season with a combination of senior night, a senior reaching her 1,000-point mark and a buzzer-beater shot to seal the victory.

BASKETBALL

Badgers must show urgency to best Michigan State on the road

By Ben Pickman | Feb. 25, 2017

The No. 16 Wisconsin Badgers (11-4 Big Ten, 22-6 overall) thought they had solved a number of problems and righted their ship after last Sunday’s 71-60 win over Maryland.

Annie Pankowski looks to lead Wisconsin to its second consecutive WCHA Final Face-Off title.

WOMEN'S HOCKEY

No. 1 Wisconsin advances despite injury to Nurse

By Cameron Lane-Flehinger | Feb. 25, 2017

Wisconsin was riding high, up 5-0 in the second game of their first-round series against Minnesota State and less than 10 minutes away from completing the sweep. Then Sarah Nurse got hit late and high by Minnesota State’s Demi Gardner, and as the senior forward lay in the fetal position on the ice, what had looked seconds earlier to be a sure win suddenly seemed like it might come with a loss. Ultimately the No. 1 Badgers (22-2-4 WCHA, 29-2-4 overall) did come away with a 6-0 victory over the Mavericks (4-21-3, 7-26-4) to extend their 17-game unbeaten streak and secure a spot in the WCHA semifinal behind six goals from their top line of Nurse and junior forwards Annie Pankowski and Emily Clark. “Emily had good energy, good speed; that’s as fast as she’s probably played all year.

Wisconsin's quest for its fifth national title begins this weekend at LaBahn Arena against Robert Morris.

WOMEN'S HOCKEY

Badgers blow out Minnesota State to open WCHA playoffs

By Ben Leadholm | Feb. 25, 2017

Five different Badgers scored goals as top-ranked Wisconsin (23-2-4 WCHA, 27-2-4 overall) routed Minnesota State (4-22-3, 7-25-4) 7-0 to open WCHA playoff play Friday night at LaBahn Arena. “We had good energy,” head coach Mark Johnson said.

FOOTBALL

Bostad returns to UW to coach inside linebackers

By Andrew Tucker | Feb. 24, 2017

The Wisconsin football program announced the hiring of Bob Bostad as the inside linebacker coach Friday, a position opened when Justin Wilcox left to coach at California. Bostad will become the third inside linebacker coach in as many years for the Badgers, with former coordinators Wilcox and Dave Aranda filling the position for the past two seasons.

HOCKEY

Special teams will play pivotal role in battle for Big Ten supremacy

By Ethan Levy | Feb. 24, 2017

With the speed and physicality of college hockey, there are often games where both teams spend a considerable amount of time on the power play and on the penalty kill.

SOFTBALL

Softball continues red-hot start

By Andrew Guckes | Feb. 24, 2017

The Badgers are clearly enjoying being away from the frigid Madison weather. Wisconsin softball, playing in the Michele Smith Pediatric Cancer Foundation Invitational in Clearwater, Florida, wrapped up their second of three consecutive series in the Sunshine State with success this past weekend.

Bronson Koenig was the only Badger who could find any rhythm offensively Thursday night on the road.

BASKETBALL

Koenig excels, Badgers falter again against unranked Buckeyes

By Ben Pickman | Feb. 23, 2017

The No. 16 Wisconsin Badgers (11-4 Big Ten, 22-6 overall) have made losing to unranked opponents a habit in the last two weeks.

PODCAST

Cardinal Zone Podcast: Men's basketball, women's hockey, men's hockey all enter crunch time

Feb. 23, 2017

In this week's edition of the Cardinal Zone Podcast, women's hockey beat writer Cameron Lane-Flehinger previews the Badgers' first postseason series vs.