The Wisconsin women's basketball team kicked off the 2009 Big Ten tournament in true Wisconsin style Thursday morning, securing a 60-51 first-round victory over Northwestern at Canseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
""I'm very proud of our basketball team,"" Wisconsin head coach Lisa Stone said. ""Our post defense was solid, our ball pressure was good. I thought we did a decent job of valuing the basketball.
""Hopefully, the fact we played this first day is to our advantage. We'll get rested up for our game with Michigan State tomorrow.""
Wisconsin (17-13) had four players score in double figures, led by honorable mention All-Big Ten nominee and sophomore guard Alyssa Karel with 17 points. Sophomore post Tara Steinbauer and freshman guard Jade Davis pitched in 11 apiece, and junior point guard Rae Lin D'Alie added 10 points, five assists and a season-high five steals.
Steinbauer was one rebound shy of another double-double, the fourth time she has grabbed nine or more boards.
Northwestern (7-23) was led by freshman forward Brittany Orban with 18 points, and junior guard Kristin Cartwright and sophomore center Amy Jaeschke added 15 and 10 points, respectively.
The Badgers held the Wildcats to just a 37.5 field-goal percentage, including 5-for-22 from the floor in the first half en route to a 25-12 Wisconsin lead at the break.
Yet Northwestern started the second half on a 6-0 run and eventually closed to within three points at 41-38 with just over 10 minutes remaining.
""That's the moment of the game where we all have to come together,"" Steinbauer said. ""We knew that it was our turn to go on a run. I think we all came together.""
Wisconsin responded with a 9-0 run of its own, pushing the lead to 50-38 just two minutes later, thanks to five big points from Davis.
Wisconsin also shot 54 percent in the second half, including 4-for-7 from 3-point land to put the Wildcats away.
The Badgers forced 21 Northwestern turnovers, including seven from the 6'5"" Jaeschke, by doubling down hard on the post players. But in the second half, the Wildcats were able to pass the ball out to shooters spotted up on the perimeter to widen the Badger defense.
""In the second half, they were really trying to stretch out our defense,"" Karel said. ""I think that's where a lot of their points came in. Where we would double in the post, they would kick it out to their open player.
""After a few times out, coaches told us we have to have the best ball pressure we've had all year. I think that's where we kind of turned it around.""
Wisconsin improved its all-time Big Ten Conference Tournament record to 7-14 and record against Northwestern to 2-0.
The Badgers will next face No. 2 Michigan State (20-9) Friday at 10:30 a.m. in the tournament quarterfinals.
Wisconsin split the regular-season series with MSU, most recently defeating the Spartans in Madison two weeks ago.
-—uwbadgers.com contributed to this report.
