The old adage says that ""offense wins games, but defense wins championships."" The Wisconsin women's basketball team can only hope this phrase is relative.
The Badgers set a trio of records this season in Big Ten play, including a new conference low in scoring for a season. Wisconsin (10-6 Big Ten, 15-13 overall) scored just 976 points in Big Ten contests. This team has never been about offense under head Coach Lisa Stone, however. The Badgers are built on defense, and the numbers demonstrate that.
Wisconsin finished second in the Big Ten in scoring defense, allowing 58.2 points per game, just behind conference champion Michigan State.
Additionally, while the Badgers didn't score often, when they had the ball this year, they held on to it. Wisconsin set a new Big Ten record in turnovers per game, coughing the ball up just 199 times, 64 fewer times than the previous record low.
And when the Badgers got to the foul line, their free throw shooting was more efficient than any other team in conference history, hitting 75.2 percent from the charity stripe.
This Thursday, the Badgers will look to demonstrate their defensive prowess and pristine ball control as they travel to Indianapolis to face Illinois in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
While Wisconsin failed to close out the season with a win over Ohio State last week, which would have give the team a first-round bye in the tournament, the Badgers will face the bottom of the conference in their first match. The Illini (2-14, 7-22) rank 10th or worse in scoring offense, scoring defense, scoring margin, field goal percentage and free throw percentage this season in the Big Ten.
Illinois features just one player averaging double-digit scoring season. Illini sophomore forward Karisma Penn is averaging 18 points per contest.
Illinois' only two conference wins this season have come against Minnesota and Indiana. Since defeating the Hoosiers Jan. 13, the Illini have dropped a dozen straight contests, including a 60-47 loss at Wisconsin Jan. 23.
In that contest, the only between the two teams this season, Illinois clung to a one-point advantage heading into the locker room. The Badgers held the Illini to just 25 percent shooting in the second half, however, cruising to an easy 13-point victory.
And although, as a sixth seed, the Badgers draw the bottom dweller of the conference, Wisconsin has only found mediocre success from this position in the past. As a sixth seed, the Badgers are just 4-4 in tournament history. Overall, the program owns a 9-16 record in 16 tournaments.
Last season in Indianapolis, Wisconsin, a fourth seed, defeated Purdue in the first round before losing to eventual champions Ohio State in the semi-finals.
No. 3 seed Michigan awaits the winner of Wisconsin- Illinois Friday afternoon.
