After a 9-1 start, the women’s basketball team kept rolling during break. The hot start included wins over two intra-state rivals, a championship in a tournament in Arizona, and wins over highly ranked Washington and N.C. State. Despite the strong start, the team knew how tough the road ahead of them would be.
The 9-1 record would mean nothing if they didn’t finish atop the Big Ten, and what better way to start Wisconsin’s run to a Big Ten Championship than to knock off perennial Big Ten power Purdue at the Kohl Center? On Dec. 28, coming back well-rested after Christmas, the then-No. 14 Badgers knocked off the No. 7 Boilermakers, the defending Big Ten champs, 71-59 in front of a raucous home crowd of 9,328. This win put the Badgers’ stamp on the Big Ten and the rest of the nation.
The win over Purdue was a tremendous relief for head coach Jane Albright, whose teams have struggled against Purdue in the past.
“It wasn’t a monkey — it was a gorilla on our back,” said Albright. The gorilla was slain largely by UW’s senior triumvirate, which seems to demonstrate more savvy during crunch time in every game.
Guard Kyle Black led the team with 19 points, hitting key free throws down the stretch to ice the game, while forward Jessie Stomski dropped in 13 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, her seventh double-double of the season, and guard Tamara Moore added 17 points.
The Badgers had no letdowns in the next three games, defeating Iowa on the road and Indiana and Michigan at home to run their Big Ten record to 4-0. However, both of the next two games on the road proved to be harrowing experiences for Wisconsin.
After moving up to No. 5 in the country, the Badgers found themselves down by four points with a minute left in the first overtime of a fierce battle at the Breslin Center against Michigan State. But Moore came to the rescue with a steal and a pair of free throws to cut the lead to two, and another steal that led to two Emily Ashbaugh free throws, sending the game into double overtime at 73-73, only the fourth double OT game in UW history.
It was then that Wisconsin took control, scoring the first seven points of the period and capturing an 86-78 win. The Badgers were led by their three seniors once again, who combined to score 72 points.
“Seniors are special and Jane [Albright’s] got three great ones,” Michigan State coach Joanne McCallie said. “They are the show. Look at their stat line.”
In the next game at Northwestern, the Badgers had to overcome sloppy play to pull out a 70-65 victory. In a late rally, Black hit three three-point baskets in the final five minutes of the game, and Moore notched 12 of her game-high 24 points in the same span.
Despite the somewhat lackluster play at times during the last two games, Albright remains very proud that her team has been able to pull it out in the end.
Using a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, Albright reflected on her team’s recent play.
“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you is not nearly as important as what lies within you. I think that’s the story of this team,” Albright said. “Winning on the road the last two games, they might not have been pretty, but the bottom line is that we were able to come away from two places that were very hostile environments, and we’re very excited to still be on top of the Big Ten. We know it doesn’t get any easier.”
It certainly won’t get any easier, with upcoming home games against Illinois and Minnesota and road games against Indiana and Penn State. Then, after a home rematch against Michigan State, UW will battle it out again with Purdue Feb. 3 in what may very well be the biggest remaining game of the regular season.
With the Big Ten title firmly set in the eyes of all of the Badger basketball women, one can only wonder what goals lie beyond. The Badgers have been increasingly gaining national respect.
