Coming off a trying stretch against three of the Big Ten's best, the Badgers (11-14 overall, 5-10 Big Ten) were hungry for a victory and some positive momentum heading into the Big Ten Tournament. They got both in a hard-fought 70-63 victory over visiting Northwestern (5-23, 2-13).
\It was a tough three-game stretch our team just went through, but we hung in there,"" Wisconsin head coach Lisa Stone said. ""If we can pick up another win this week, we'll forget all about what happened in the last couple of games.""
The Badgers were paced by sensational freshman Jolene Anderson, who sent her senior teammates out in style by pouring in 28 points on 12-of-24 shooting. Also with a strong performance was senior guard Stephanie Rich, who posted 17 points behind strong 3-point shooting.
The Badgers set the tone early by jumping out to a 16-4 lead behind the hot early shooting of seniors Rich and Ebba Gebisa. Good ball movement also contributed to the team's strong start as the majority of Wisconsin's shots came uncontested.
The Badgers held the Wildcats to only one field goal in the first 4:17, behind spirited defense and by forcing Northwestern into two quick turnovers, including a shot clock violation. However, Northwestern recovered to close the gap to 16-12 behind a strong pressure defense that forced Wisconsin to settle for many contested outside jumpers. This poor shot selection by the Badgers led to a five-minute scoring drought. But sparked by strong guard play and 3-point shooting by Anderson, Rich and freshman guard Janese Banks, the Badgers built a 36-22 lead going into the half.
Jump-started by a dazzling spin move and lay-up by Banks, the Badgers continued their solid play for the first ten minutes of the second half and built their lead to a game high 20. However, Northwestern did not pack it in and slowly chipped away to bring it down to eleven with 5:19 to go.
After a timeout by Northwestern, the Wildcats began to apply full-court pressure which gave the Badgers fits. Forcing four consecutive turnovers, Northwestern sliced into the Badger lead even further, getting it down to as little as six. This would be as close as they would get. Anderson closed the door by nailing a clutch 3-pointer that put the game out of reach for the Wildcats.
Anderson was sensational all night in scoring one less than her career high of 29, but she did not only contribute by scoring. Generally not known for her defense, the Badger floor general provided the highlight of the game when she raced back to block a lay-up by Northwestern sophomore point guard Breanne Smilie after the ball was stolen from her only seconds before.
Northwestern Coach Beth Combs became the latest in a long line of coaches impressed with the Wisconsin freshman.
""I'll say this: Jolene Anderson has my vote for Freshman of the Year. She's an incredible player, and she really carries this team.""
After a solid win, the Badgers must use this momentum to carry them into a road tilt at Purdue, who beat them by five earlier this year. If Anderson and the Badgers continue to elevate their level of play, the Badgers could make some noise in the Big Ten Tournament.
