Having the tallest front line in the Big Ten Conference certainly helps when it comes to controlling the inside game. The Wisconsin women’s basketball team undoubtedly has that, and was able to control the boards throughout the game against the smaller and short-handed Wisconsin AAU Select team Tuesday night. The Badgers out-rebounded the AAU Vikings 65-37 for the game, a key statistic when Wisconsin posted an 84-58 win in its final exhibition game.
The Vikings, who only dressed seven players and didn’t have a player over 6’1”, never could keep the Badgers from crashing boards and gave up 30 second chance points. Even WNBA player Anna DeForge and Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman of AAU could not figure out an answer for the Badgers post players, though they searched for one the whole game.
“When we have that kind of height advantage and that kind of skill and ability,” Wisconsin head coach Lisa Stone said, “We have got to be able to use that. We went inside, we got good looks, and we shot the ball pretty decently.”
With the height advantage Wisconsin pounded the ball inside, which in turn led to easy points and better shooting. Senior Emily Ashbaugh in particular was able to consistently have her way on the block as she posted a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
“I think our team saw the advantage we had inside, and I got great passes from the guards as who saw it as an indication we could utilize the inside,” Ashbaugh said.
The Gebisa sisters did not disappoint as senior Lello tallied eight points and 13 rebounds, while junior Ebba chipped in with eight points and five rebounds. The post game didn’t lose any ground when sophomores Jordan Wilson and Kjersten Bakke came into the game, as they boxed out and hit their shots, scoring 12 and nine points, respectively.
Bakke, who only played 12 minutes, troubled the Vikings with her strong physical play and inside presence. Several players for the Badgers were on the floor diving for loose balls or getting their hands on a pass.
The Badgers scored over half of their points in the paint as they held a 50-20 advantage in inside points over AAU. While most of the points came from the inside, the Badgers were able to add an extra dimension to the game with strong outside shooting. Junior point guard Stephanie Rich led the Wisconsin attack as she started her game with back to back threes and finished three for seven on the night. Rich, who struggled to find her outside shot at times last season has proven in the two exhibition games she has what it takes to be a consistent threat from the outside. In Tuesday’s win over Minnesota State-Mankato she literally shot the lights out with 29 points, while shooting 60 percent from the 3-point line. Rich finished with 18 in the win over AAU Select and added 12 rebounds as she also finished with a double-double. Even when Wisconsin relied on its outside shots and they missed, the inside players were often there for the putback as Wisconsin notched 20 offensive rebounds.
Opponents that scout the Badgers may know they have a tall frontline, but they also have an inside-outside game that has led to two balanced wins.
Nancy Lieberman, a great player in her own day, and now an ESPN analyst, particularly praised the Badgers in their difference from last season.
“They’re obviously very big in the middle, because I have neck strain. I like how they run a lot of high post sets,” she said. “Guard play in the women’s game right now too is very important, give them their four years under a great coach in Lisa Stone.”
