The Wisconsin women's basketball team has become used to playing the underdog role this season. But this week they will have to be giant killers twice.
Wisconsin (6-11 Big Ten, 16-12 overall) is looking to pick off its second conference front-runner Thursday as it travels to Columbus, Ohio, to take on No. 14 Ohio State (13-3, 22-5).
Wisconsin, after eking out a 54-51 win over Michigan State Sunday at the Kohl Center, will use all the momentum it has to tackle the Buckeyes.
""They're very, very talented, but we're coming off playing a team of Michigan State who is probably the biggest team in the league in terms of size,"" head coach Lisa Stone said. ""I thought we did a nice job on the glass [Sunday], and we'll have to carry that over on Thursday.""
""You knock off the front-runner in the conference, and now we've got the next front-runner on Thursday,"" Stone said. ""[Wins are so] significant this time of year. You want to get hot at the right time and show you can play with the best in the league, and we did that [Sunday].""
The Badgers are playing for a favorable seed in the Big Ten tournament and an outside chance of making the NCAA tournament. The team has secured at worst an eight seed for the Big Ten tournament, but can earn the seventh spot with a win at Value City Arena.
And coach Stone's kids have not stopped believing.
""It's been very, very rewarding in many ways, because this team has stuck together through a lot of stuff,"" Stone said. ""And we're getting hot at the right time. And that belief, that's what my band says too, everybody has it, and they really, truly believe that we can play with the best in the conference.""
Wisconsin has been led by sophomore guard Alyssa Karel, who ranks seventh in the Big Ten with 13 points per game. Yet most recently sophomore forward Tara Steinbauer has been Wisconsin's X-factor, averaging 14.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game in the last four contests.
The Badgers will face the inside tandem of Star Allen and Jantel Lavender, an assignment falling mainly on the shoulders of Steinbauer and fellow sophomore post defender Lin Zastrow.
""I like the urgency I see out of a Lin Zastrow,"" Stone said. ""I thought she had just a great game yesterday handling the basketball, scoring for us. I think she's one of the best post defenders in the league, and she's going to go against one of the best post players.""
Lavender, the Big Ten Player of the Year frontrunner, leads the conference in scoring and rebounding with 20.6 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.
Allen leads the conference in field-goal percentage (.539) and is fresh off a career-high-tying 22-point performance against Indiana.
""Star Allen certainly is going to be someone to make sure we keep her off the boards,"" Stone said. ""And if you're guarding her, it's not so much that you have to get the rebound, you have to make sure you keep her off the boards.""
The last time the two teams met, Ohio State used its size advantage to out-rebound the Badgers by 16 in a 55-42 victory at the Kohl Center in early January. Lavender and Allen led the Buckeyes, each recording a double-double.
Ohio State can clinch at least a share of the Big Ten title with a win over Wisconsin Thursday and outright title with wins over Wisconsin and Penn State.
Thursday's game in Columbus will be broadcast live via BigTenNetwork.com at 6 p.m.
