Despite having five players score in double digits, Wisconsin (4-9 Big Ten, 8-15 overall) came up short Wednesday against Minnesota (8-5, 18-6), losing 93-82.
Junior guards Nicole Bauman and Dakota Whyte had strong offensive performances as Bauman added six 3-pointers, while Whyte recorded a double-double with 20 points (a career high) and 10 assists.
Wisconsin continued to excel offensively as the team has averaged 74 points in its last six games, but the Badgers could not play well defensively Wednesday, which has been a significant problem for them this season.
Minnesota senior forward Shae Kelley shredded the Badger defense with 33 points and 14 rebounds. Sophomore center Amanda Zahui also registered a double-double, scoring 21 points and collecting 13 boards.
Aside from those two Gophers, the Badgers actually held most of Minnesota in check. The Gophers shot just 41.2 percent for the entire game and were an abysmal 12-37 from the field in the first half. Despite the horrid shooting, Minnesota still led the Badgers 38-28 at halftime.
Rebounding and fouling became an issue for Wisconsin throughout the game, however, as the Gophers made 22 out of 25 free throws and out-rebounded the Badgers, 52-32.
At the 3:41 mark in the second half, the Badgers cut the Gopher lead to six, but Minnesota went on a 7-3 run to take back a comfortable 10-point lead with just over two minutes remaining.
Numerous times this season, Wisconsin has lost games due to sloppy defense. In their last 6 games, the Badgers have allowed 82 points per game. While they have been productive on the offensive side of the ball, they must tighten their defense for a realistic chance of winning their remaining slate of conference games.
It does not get much easier for the Badgers as they face another tough road test this week against No. 22 Nebraska. The Cornhuskers beat the Badgers by 17 three weeks ago.
