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Badgers tame in-state rival Panthers

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Also by Mitch Goza:

Ward stays hot, scores 14 (December 10, 2007)
Mistakes concern coach (December 7, 2007)
Badgers tame in-state rival Panthers (December 5, 2007)
UW prepares to 'Challenge' ACC (November 30, 2007)
Badgers must regroup, improve (November 27, 2007)

by Mitch Goza

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Trailing by seven late in the first half, Wisconsin's continued dominance over in-state rival UW-Milwaukee was anything but a sure thing.

With state bragging rights on the line, however, the Badgers stormed back to start the second half to come away with a decisive 79-59 win Tuesday night at the Kohl Center, extending their winning streak over the hyphenated foe to 15 games — a streak dating back to 1992.

The contest was a matchup of two Division I conferences' top players, as Badgers guard Jolene Anderson and UWM junior Traci Edwards were each the preseason favorites for player of the year for their conferences, the Big Ten and the Horizon League respectively.

Anderson's offensive output was minimal compared to the heavy Panther reliance on Edwards as she led UWM in scoring, steals, rebounds and blocks. Edwards was defended most of the game against the taller Danielle Ward but was able to adjust her shot and work around the arms of Ward.

"I think it is a good matchup, and it was good going up against someone that is taller than I am," Edwards said. "We both played to our advantages."

From the opening tip, Ward was able to win the jump ball, hustle down the court and immediately become the recipient of one of seven Rae Lin D'Alie assists, giving the Badgers an early lead.

Fifteen minutes and eight turnovers later, Wisconsin was down 16-21 to the post-centered UWM offense.

With 90 seconds left in the half, the Badgers went on a 7-0 run to tie the Panthers 32-32 at halftime.

Momentum on their side, UW continued to deflate UWM to start the second half, opening up a 10 point lead thanks to a 13-3 Badger run.

"In the first half we were able to stick to our game plan and do everything that we had going for us," Edwards said. "In the second half we started to turn it over when they started putting pressure on us."

In a balanced game where every player for Wisconsin saw the court and multiple players set season high personal scoring records, the depth UW head coach Lisa Stone has been preaching was clearly evident.

"We're getting some balance in a lot of different places," Stone said. "It was a good game for a lot of people and not necessarily for people that usually show up on the stat sheet."

Despite the growing deficit, the Panthers were relentless in shutting down Anderson and chipping away the Badger lead. Under 10 minutes, the lead had fizzled to ten with plenty of time for a late run left.

A Wisconsin turnover led to a chance for UWM to cut the lead to single digits. Upon receiving a feed to the post, Edwards went up for the shot, drawing slight contact from her defender, Ward. The no-call caused an uproar from the Panther bench, including head coach Sandy Botham, who received a technical foul for her belligerent actions.

After Anderson made free throws, Wisconsin reopened a comfortable lead and never looked back.

Once again, for the sixth game of seven, the Badgers won the rebounding battle, a testament to the entire team. D'Alie at 5-foot-3 has grabbed 27 rebounds this season, complimenting her all-around game.

"I thought Rae made some good decisions in transition," Stone said. "A lot of our players are sharing the ball."

Statistically, the Panthers didn't share the ball quite as well, posting only nine assists compared to the Badgers' 22.

Defensively, the Badgers won the turnover battle as well, 22-16, after controlling the ball more with only five turnovers in the second half.

The Badgers have now won three of their last four games, with two consecutive wins at the Kohl Center to improve to 2-1 at home.

"It always pleases me when I see more than two people in double figures," Stone said. "Our team is really starting to grow, they are starting to see that everybody here has a valuable part, and as we start to put those parts together you're going to see our team continue to get better and better."

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