The Badgers’ season, and the Jonathan Tsipis era, did not start as they hoped it would.
After two solid showings at the Kohl Center in exhibition matches, the team traveled east to take on the University of Charlotte for the season opener this past Friday.
The Badgers lost to the Conference USA team 63-48.
Junior guard Cayla McMorris led the way for Wisconsin, leading the team in scoring with 13 points. McMorris also added one block and one steal.
Redshirt senior forward Avyanna Young contributed six points and seven rebounds, freshman forward Courtney Fredrickson added seven points and redshirt junior forward Malayna Johnson collected 10 rebounds.
Overall Wisconsin shot a dismal 23.8 percent from the field, going 15-63 and 19.2 percent from three. A positive in the statistics column is rebounding, where the edge was given to Wisconsin 52-46.
Wisconsin started the game hot, building a 6-1 lead, however they quickly gave it up, allowing the 49ers to go on a 15-6 run and take a 16-12 lead into the second quarter.
Quarter number two didn’t provide the Badgers with much hope, as they went 1-14 on shooting and let Charlotte possess a 35-20 lead at halftime.
The second half was a different story for Wisconsin, which went on a 12-3 run, bringing them within nine with 3:06 left in the third quarter.
Sophomore forward Marsha Howard, who ended the night with just two points, knocked down her one shot with 7:01 left in the fourth to bring Wisconsin within eight. It appeared as though the Badgers might have had some early-season comeback magic in them after all. But that magic quickly slipped away as Charlotte went on a 12-0 run. The Badgers went on a five-minute scoreless streak, putting the game out of reach.
