The Wisconsin women’s basketball team’s seniors were honored before the game and senior Abby Simmons received her first career start, but the 25th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes were able to withstand an emotional atmosphere at the Kohl Center Sunday night and tallied their ninth win in the last 10 games, 72-56.
With the win, Ohio State recorded a season sweep over the Badgers and finished their conference schedule in third place.
The Buckeyes took it to the Badgers early on, jumping out to a 15-0 lead that left the crowd in awe. Wisconsin looked like they were still adjusting to the game’s late Sunday starting time, but the giant finally awoke when Lello Gebisa scored the first bucket with 14:27 to play in the first half that ignited a 13-6 Wisconsin run that got the Badgers back in the game.
The Buckeyes, though, got their lead back to double digits at halftime and the Badgers could never cut the lead below 14 points in the second half. The loss ended a two-game winning streak by the Badgers, who ended their regular season with a 10-16 record.
Early on, Wisconsin missed the aggressiveness and defensive tenacity of sophomore forward Kjersten Bakke, who was lost for the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee in practice last week.
The DeForest, Wis., native had averaged 2.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game and had started in five of the past six games. The team looked to rally around their teammate and post their first win in eight tries this season over a ranked opponent as a farewell present to the seniors.
Ohio State crashed the senior party and dashed any hopes of a Badger comeback by not allowing Wisconsin to get within single digits in the second half.
Wisconsin senior post players finished off their careers strongly, with Lello Gebisa scoring 12 points and adding eight boards and Emily Ashbaugh pouring in 12 and pulling down five boards. The twin towers, who have given opponents headaches all season with their size differential, were evenly matched by Ohio State posts LaToya Turner and Jessica Davenport.
Davenport scored 10 of her 12 points in the first half and Turner finished what her teammate started by scoring 10 of her 14 in the second half. Both scored most of their points off of lay-ups as Ohio State dominated Wisconsin 40-22 in the paint.
Possibly the main difference in the game was the Buckeyes’ sophomore point guard Kim Wilburn. Wilburn got her hands on several passes in the opening moments of the game, which gave Ohio State more possessions and an opportunity to build the lead by finding her teammates early and often. Wilburn finished with eight points, eight assists and five steals.
Ohio State took 15 more shots than the Badgers and also converted 10 more. Ohio State’s defense, though, was sound all game and gave the Badgers fits throughout. The Buckeyes harassed Wisconsin into 18 turnovers, while only having five miscues of their own, breaking the Kohl Center record for an opponent.
When the Buckeyes did force Wisconsin to give up the ball it was almost an added bonus; they scored 26 points off Wisconsin turnovers. It didn’t help the Badgers’ cause that junior point guard Stephanie Rich left with just more than five minutes remaining in the game with a right hand injury and did not return. When Rich sat down, the Badgers were on a 6-0 run and threatening to close the gap, but Ohio State responded to push the lead back to 18 and Wisconsin ran out of time.
“I really think that had we scored on some opportunities early on, it may have changed the outlook of the game,” UW head coach Lisa Stone said. “We were back on [our] heels for the whole first part of the first half. It makes it tough to come back. However, we made a run. Once we start scoring, this team doesn’t quit, they keep battling.”
