After opening the season on a 6-0 start, Wisconsin (6-2 overall) struggled to keep the winning record alive during its most recent matchups, but it hopes to snap its two-game losing streak when it hosts the Marshall Thundering Herd (3-4) on Tuesday.
The Badgers fought hard to overcome their deficit in the Duke game, but they were unable to hit necessary shots and shut down Duke’s size on the boards, ultimately losing 60-53. Despite their second straight loss, the Badgers are ready to get back on track.
Freshman forward Imani Lewis has been the star of the show. The 6-foot-1 New Jersey native has already begun to turn the Wisconsin program around. Averaging 13 points and almost nine rebounds a game, Imani has led the way alongside senior forward Marsha Howard. Howard has continued to build off the success she experienced last season as she has averaged 13.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.
While the Badgers have fared well during their early games, Duke was a preview of what’s to come in Big Ten play. Duke’s size and skill compares well to many conference teams Wisconsin will face in the coming month, and the Badgers will have to improve in rebounding going forward. The Blue Devils out-rebounded the Badgers 38-31. This difference helped Duke put up 40 points in the paint, compared to Wisconsin’s 28.
Marshall, much like Wisconsin, has a balanced offense. Marshall’s team leader, senior forward Shayna Gore is averaging 18 points and five rebounds a game. Sophomore guard Kristen Mayo is close behind with 11.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Down low, redshirt junior guard/forward Khadaijia Brooks leads with 7.3 rebounds and almost 10 points a game.
Marshall rides on a two-game win streak entering this matchup, after having most recently defeated Coppin State 88-67. Gore dominated the game and put up 27 points to help lead the Herd to a victory. Mayo also had a tremendous game with 18 points, going six-for-six from behind the arc. Brooks made her presence known in the paint and secured 10 rebounds, which helped Marshall beat their opponents on the boards by a margin of 10.
Come Tuesday, Wisconsin will have to shake off its last two losses in order to focus on correcting its defense and improving its rebounding if it hopes to get back to winning. In the paint particularly, Wisconsin will expect Howard, Lewis and junior forward Abby Laszewski to protect the inside in order to limit the second chance points which have been detrimental to the team’s success as of lately.
Tipoff is 7 p.m. at the Kohl Center.
