The Wisconsin women's basketball team extended their losing streak to four games Sunday with a 23-point loss to a hot-shooting Iowa State team at Hilton Coliseum. After starting the season 2-0, the Badgers lost two games at the Houston Classic before dropping to Marquette last Wednesday. Meanwhile the Cyclones improved their record to 3-1 with the win.
It has been a long road trip for the tired Badger team, who showed their lag Sunday by committing 30 fouls. This resulted in 27 points from the line for the Cyclones, who also scored 25 points from capitalizing on 17 turnovers by the Badgers. During the last seven minutes of the first half the Badgers were held to only one basket, going into halftime down 41-32 after starting the game up 13-5.
After a solid start the Cyclones clawed back. Aided by the seven-minute drought they went on a 16-0 run to claim the lead. The second half was more of the same, and the Cyclones opened on a 20-7 run with a pair of three-pointers that really quelled any hopes of a Badger comeback.
Even though junior forwards Jordan Wilson and Annie Nelson had 13 points each, but was not enough to combat Iowa State senior forward Katie Robinette who put up a double-double with 30 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Stephanie Rich helped the Badgers with 10 points and a pair of steals but Iowa State shot 50 percent from the field including five of 13 from behind the arc.
Wisconsin looks to settle down and fall into a rhythm now that six of their next seven games are at the Kohl Center. Playing at home after the long road trip should help the team who, according to Head Coach Lisa Stone,
eed their confidence.""
Such a young team does not have the same advantage as opposing teams with several veterans do, but the Badgers are not letting that affect them. Stone said of the group, ""Our team knows what we need to work on.""
The cardinal and white will host UW-Milwaukee this Wednesday at 7 p.m. Both teams eager for a win, the Badgers will try and prove that they are in fact a better team than last year, as many people have speculated.
""[The team] is still optimistic, but a win would help point us in the right direction,"" Stone said in a press conference yesterday. UW-Milwaukee is fresh off a road win over Oakland but is still only 2-4 for the season.
With very few returning players, the key to success for this young Badger squad will be-no surprise-the young Badgers. Freshman guard Jolene Anderson will have to keep up her amazing will and ability to score, freshman forward Danielle Ward will have to continue to be the Shaq of UW and freshman guard Janese Banks will have to keep up her solid all-around play.
""Right now it's about our half- court defense and getting stops,"" Stone said. This may not be too easy considering they play a 6-0 UW-Green Bay team following the UW-Milwaukee game.
