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Badgers to fight Panthers

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Also by Jonah Braun:

UW tries to end home stand well (December 11, 2007)
Balanced scoring attack leads Badgers over Falcons (December 10, 2007)
Depth evident as entire roster sees action (December 5, 2007)
Badgers to fight Panthers (December 4, 2007)
UW nets hoops win (December 3, 2007)

by Jonah Braun

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

After beating Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne Sunday 85-69, the Wisconsin women's basketball team looks to continue its home success against UW-Milwaukee.

The game is the second of five on Wisconsin’s current home stand.

Last year when these two teams played, Wisconsin won decisively, 78-45. In fact, it hasn’t lost to its in-state rival since the 1992-93 season.

Still, it will be important for the Badgers to give the Panthers and the rest of the teams on the home stand their best effort as they prepare for the start of the Big Ten schedule in three weeks.

"I think it's huge [to gain momentum] and to achieve our goals for the next few games," said freshman Tara Steinbauer, who scored 16 points in Sunday's victory over IPFW. "We want our goals to be ones that we can live up to and ones that we can actually attain. It's going to be huge to play with pride and represent our colors going into the rest of the home stand."

Receiving contributions from players other than seniors Jolene Anderson and Janese Banks has been vital to Wisconsin's success this season. While Steinbauer filled that role Sunday as one of Stone’s starters, averaging seven points per game this year, the team expects others will also step into that role.

"It doesn't matter who that player is," Banks said. "It could be anybody, as long as somebody is there. Obviously, though, we need our post players to do a lot offensively and defensively, but really, we'll take four or five in double figures if we can."

The need is pivotal considering how lackadaisical the club has played at times this season. So when it came to what Stone wants to get out of the next four games, she didn’t hesitate in her response.

"Momentum, no question," she said. "Confidence, momentum, continued chemistry, reducing turnovers, commitment to the boards. Defensively, stepping it up a notch, and I thought that was indicative of our second-half start yesterday."

Wisconsin's win over IPFW in the first game of the home stand was more commanding than the score indicates. The Badgers were up by as many as 26 points before UW head coach Lisa Stone took her starters out of the game.

In order for the Badgers to succeed against the Panthers, they must retain the energy boost they received Sunday from their young core of players, particularly Steinbauer.

"Coach [Stone] tried to keep everything sort of light during practice so that we have a lot of energy going into the next few games," Steinbauer said. "She's been giving us a lot of motivation, so we just need to go out there and do what we do best."

In terms of defending UW-Milwaukee, Wisconsin will have to contend with a strong post game featuring junior forward Traci Edwards. In UW-M's last game, Edwards had 13 points to go along with 14 rebounds.

"It revolves around Edwards inside. I mean, she's the real deal," Stone said. "And so I know that ball's going into Edwards. She's going to touch it each time. I think it's certainly a priority, and you can see with her stats. I think they've got great athletes on the perimeter."

Beyond defending Edwards, the Badgers focused much of their practice time on rebounding. Their efforts showed up in the second half of Sunday's game, as they out-rebounded IPFW by 22.

"For about 33 minutes yesterday, we played pretty well," Stone said. "The last seven got a little ugly, but you take the win, and you move on.

"Going against a rival tomorrow, we'll bring out our best as well."

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