After accumulating a career high 31 points in Thursday’s matchup against Ohio State, junior guard Nicole Bauman continued to roll on offense Sunday as she contributed 21 points in the Badgers’ 73-62 win at Illinois.
Bauman’s presence was heavily needed Sunday as Wisconsin (4-7 Big Ten, 8-13 overall) desperately needed a win against a suspect Illinois squad (2-8, 11-11).
Following her eight three-pointers on Thursday, Bauman added five more from beyond the arc against the Fighting Illini, making her the lead scorer for the Badgers.
Offensively, the Badgers have been relatively solid during the season and showcased that against Illinois, but their defense was one factor coming in Sunday that would determine whether or not they would win.
During the Badgers’ recent four-game losing streak, they have allowed an average of 81 points on defense and gave up a whopping 89 points in a home loss against Nebraska. In order to have a realistic chance of beating an opponent, Wisconsin needed to tighten their defense Sunday.
Nicole Bauman and company shut down the Fighting Illini in the first half as they held them to a 29.4 percent shooting percentage and 26 total points.
Wisconsin’s stout defense never let up, however. By the end of regulation, Illinois had a team shooting percentage of 34.8 percent and only mustered up 62 points.
In large part, Wisconsin was able to pull away because of their stingy defense, but the Badgers’ rebounding also helped secure the W Sunday.
Sophomore Malayna Johnson and Redshirt Senior Cassie Rochel each led Wisconsin with 11 boards and contributed to the Badgers season-high rebounding total of 50. As a team, the Fighting Illini could only bring down 35 rebounds and the 15-point rebounding differential served as another important factor in Wisconsin’s impressive and important win.
While Wisconsin certainly got a solid conference win, there were also areas of concern Sunday that need to be addressed for the near future, as they prepare for a stretch of games against four ranked teams in the next month.
Turnovers have become detrimental for the Badgers this season and that was on full display Sunday, as Wisconsin turned the ball over 22 times, which ultimately created 15 extra points for the Illini.
Aside from turnover woes, the Badgers missed many opportunities at the free throw line against the Fighting Illini. As a whole, Wisconsin shot only 59.3 percent from the line.
Wisconsin will have a six day break from basketball and will look to correct these issues by next Sunday when they will host No. 20 Iowa at the Kohl Center at 2 p.m.
