Wisconsin (4-13 Big Ten, 10-17 overall) capped off a disappointing season with a 57-39 loss to the Indiana Hoosiers (5-12, 12-16) on the first day of the Big Ten tournament yesterday at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
For the first 15 minutes of the game, Wisconsin had an edge on the Hoosiers as they went up by as much as eight. The inside game was working for the Badgers as sophomore forward Jordan Wilson and senior center Emily Ashbaugh had nine points and six points, respectively, in the first half. However, Indiana went into halftime on the heels of a 13-4 run to close the half up 26-22.
\Jordan Wilson gave just the [Kjersten] Bakke dimension when she [Bakke] went down,"" Wisconsin Head Coach Lisa Stone said.
The second half was a continuation of the previous period. Wisconsin was scoreless for the first 4:16 of the half and only had four points in the first 7:30. Wilson and Ashbaugh scored only five of their combined 20 points in the stagnant second half for UW.
Badger senior center Lello Gebisa, who did not start, had seven points, eight rebounds and four blocks off the bench. Sophomore guard Erin Olson had the team's only three-point field goal in the game.
Indiana, on the other hand, lit up the court during the second half. The Hoosiers scored 31 points over the final 20 minutes and played tough defense on the Badgers.
""I'm really excited about our defensive performance,"" Indiana Head Coach Kathi Bennett said. ""In the second half, we came out ready. I thought the adjustments we made at half were good. We just found a way in the second half to respond to some crucial situations.""
The Hoosier trio of sophomore guard Cyndi Valentine, junior forward Jenny DeMuth and freshman center Sarah McKay scored in double figures for the Hoosiers in the game. DeMuth had 15 points and eight rebounds, while Valentine put up 12 points, six rebounds and two blocks in the win. Sophomore center Angela Hawkins led the Hoosiers with 13 rebounds.
Junior guard Stephanie Rich and sophomore guard Bakke were both out for the game with season-ending injuries. Bakke tore her ACL in practice, while Rich fractured her right hand in the final minutes of the Ohio State game Feb. 29.
Stone missed Rich's offensive presence on the court, who was the team leader for assists on the season.
Stone was still positive about the team's performance, though UW was short some of its key players.
""Obviously, we were thin coming in, and our record is not what we were looking for,"" Stone said. ""We won 10 games, in some cases short-handed and in other cases, just not very deep. Our kids battled.""
The Badgers now move on to the offseason, while Indiana moves onto the second round of the Big Ten tournament where they will face the No. 1-seeded Penn State Nittany Lions Friday.
In the end, Stone was still impressed with the team, despite their disappointing record in her first season.
""I think they exceeded expectations and we look to build on a lot of positives for next year,"" she said.
