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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."