In the Big Ten season opener almost a month and a half ago, the Badgers (3-10 Big Ten, 7-16 overall) hosted Indiana (8-5, 16-9) and earned their first win of the conference season, 73-69. Now, 12 games later, the Badgers will travel to Bloomington, Ind. Sunday in an effort to win their second game against the Hoosiers.
Since that game, both teams have taken very different paths. After the conference opener, Wisconsin looked like a team that would be in most games throughout the duration of the year. Conversely, the Badgers have won just two games since that point and have yet to win a game on the road.
Indiana has exceeded many expectations after that early conference loss in Madison. The Hoosiers lost three of their first four Big Ten games, but have remained resilient and have now won eight conference matchups and have posted a perfect record at home. Additionally, Indiana is currently riding a three-game win streak, putting it fifth in the Big Ten and climbing.
Still, despite the differences in expectations and results over the course of the season, the Badgers’ early victory against the Hoosiers gives them confidence that they can hand Indiana their first loss at home.
In their last matchup, UW did the so-called “little things” well, which was the main reason it came out on top. Specifically, the Badgers only turned the ball over nine times, allowing them to retain possessions and limit Indiana’s transition opportunities. This season, the Badgers have only three games with less than 10 turnovers, and they have won all three. If Wisconsin can keep its turnovers down once again, it will give itself an opportunity to win.
The Badgers played great defense on Indiana sophomore guard Tyra Buss all night, only allowing her 16 points on 6-of-15 shooting. Buss is averaging almost 19 points per game this season on 43 percent shooting. If the Badgers are going to have success again this time around, they can not let Buss get into the game and start to take over.
Not only did the Badgers play good defense, but they played it consistently from start to finish. This season, Wisconsin has been outscored by 10 or more points in a quarter 12 separate times, allowing its opponents to build big early leads. Against Indiana, the Hoosiers’ largest quarter margin was only 5 points, allowing the Badgers to keep the game close throughout the duration of the night.
Additionally, senior guard Nicole Bauman had one of her best nights of the season in their first matchup, shooting 50 percent and totaling 24 points on the night. When Bauman is on her game, it is almost impossible for defenses to stop her, and the court is consequently opened up for her teammates. However, when she is off, she can’t seem to find the basket at all, and the Badgers really struggle putting points on the board. In the team’s last loss, Bauman shot 1-of-8 from three, and the team scored just 65 points. If the Badgers want to put up anything on offense against Indiana, Bauman will have to hit her stride from behind the arc early and often.
Going into the final stretch of the season, the Badgers are looking to make each game and each possession count. They have been fighting all year to win games, and will need a similar edge to beat a team that is very comfortable in its own backyard. If the Badgers are going to pull out their fourth Big Ten victory, they will need to be locked in on both ends of the floor for the full 40 minutes.
