While most students will be looking forward to a long-awaited rest over winter break, the Wisconsin women’s basketball team (4-4, 0-0) will be looking toward a bevy of important contests during the break.
Wisconsin’s upcoming schedule could very well make or break their season. Here are some of the schedule highlights.
Santa Clara: The Badgers will look to continue their winning ways at home when they host the Santa Clara Broncos Thursday at the Kohl Center. The Badgers enter the contest on a high note after upsetting in-state rival UW-Green Bay over the weekend. The Badgers look to build momentum following the emotional victory over the Fighting Phoenix.
Santa Clara (3-4, 0-0) enters the contest after a tough loss against No. 16-ranked Minnesota, their third top 20 opponent of the season. The loss against Minnesota gives the Broncos a 0-2 mark against the Big Ten thus far this season, as they lost to Michigan State Nov. 27.
The Broncos are strong offensively, pacing the West Coast Conference with 73 points per game. The Broncos are lead by sophomore guard Ashley Graham and senior guard Quinn Thomas. They are the only Broncos who have started every game this season. A talented sophomore, Graham currently leads the team in points (12.6 ppg), assists (3.3 apg) and minutes (30.1 mpg).
Quinn provides senior leadership for head coach Michelle Bento-Jackson’s squad. Quinn is the lone senior presence on the floor for a young Bronco team. Quinn is currently the team leader in steals, with eight, and second on the team in points (11.7 ppg), assists (3.0 apg) and minutes (29.6 mpg).
But while the Broncos have been proficient offensively, their defense has struggled. The Broncos are allowing 71 points per game this season, a concern for coach Bento-Jackson.
Minnesota: The Badgers and Golden Gophers will continue the longest-running rivalry in the Big Ten when the meet at the Kohl Center Jan. 6. The Badgers are out for revenge after the Gophers dominated them in the Kohl Center last year, winning 59-48 on their way to a Final Four berth last season. Considered a favorite to win the Big Ten this season, the match-up gives the Badgers a chance to test their talent against the best in the league.
The Gophers are led by sophomore Jamie Broback. The 6-foot-3 guard/forward has stepped up to help take over some of the scoring lost by the departure of senior Lindsay Whalen. Primarily a bench player for the Gophers last season, Broback has earned herself a starting role this season, as she averages a team-best 16.9 points per game as she utilizes her height advantage against smaller players on the wing.
Joining Broback in leading the Gophers is returning center Janel McCarville. McCarville, a returning first-team All-American, has slowly worked her way back into the game after missing the Gophers first two games with a broken hand. Since her return, she is second on the team, averaging 14.0 points per game while leading the team with 9.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.3 blocks per game.
Defensively the Gophers have been stout this season. Minnesota has an average victory margin of more than 18 points this season. Their defense is only slightly opportunistic, however, creating only 17 turnovers a game, while giving the ball up more than 18 times a game. Again their defense is predicated on the play of Broback and McCarville’s disruptive abilities.
Penn State: The Badgers’ game at the Kohl Center against the Penn State Nittany Lions Jan. 8 will be their second big contest in three days. While the Lions do not return reigning Big Ten player of the year Kelly Mazzante, who is now testing her skills with the WNBA’s Charlotte Sting, they do return with Big Ten head coach of the year Rene Portland.
The biggest challenge the Badgers’ young team could face will be the vast experience coach Portland has at her disposal. The Nittany Lions start three seniors: guard Tanisha Wright, a first-team all-Big Ten pick last season, guard Jess Strom, a third-team all-Big Ten selection a year ago, and forward Ashli Schwab.
But coach Portland also brings two seniors off the bench: forward Hazel Joseph, averaging 16 minutes and 3.4 rebounds per game, and guard Jennifer Brenden, averaging 17.1 minutes and 3.9 points per game. Both players are also solid defenders off the bench for Penn St.
Wright is the unquestioned leader for the Nittany Lions. After sharing the scoring burden with Mazzante as well as forward Jessica Brungo, Wright has stepped up to lead her team in scoring. Wright is averaging 22.1 points per game and barely sees the bench, seeing the floor for more than 37 minutes a game. Last season against the Badgers, Wright averaged 15 points and 4.5 assists in two games.
Complementing Wright in the backcourt is Strom. The senior point guard is nearly as vital for the Nittany Lions as Wright. Like Wright, Strom rarely sees the bench, averaging 36.5 minutes per game, while chipping in 12 points and 6.4 assists per game.
Going against a team that makes few mistakes, committing only 14.8 turnovers per game, the Badgers will need to find a way to shut down Wright and play hard against a savvy veteran squad. A win for the Badgers against a perennial Big Ten powerhouse would be a big confidence booster for a young Wisconsin team.
