Throughout the first 37 minutes of the game, the Badger women’s basketball team (4-14) looked as though it was a composed group of veteran athletes. However, over the final three minutes, the youth of the team and the fatigue of playing four games in seven days ultimately contributed to a 62-55 loss to No. 19 Arizona (13-5).
“When you have played a lot of games in a short period of time, it’s hard,” Arizona head coach Joan Bonvicini said. “I think they’re a team just struggling for their confidence … I think they’re right on the cusp of really turning things around.”
Starting the game on a 10-2 run, the Wildcats’ speed and full court press looked as though they would dominate the bigger Badger team. A steal by forward Ebba Gebisa and a spin move through the lane resulting in a lay-up started a run by UW that would include a three-point bucket by guard Stephanie Rich to tie the game at 10-10 with 13 minutes left in the first half.
Great defense propelled the Badgers to their largest lead at 19-14 after freshman Jordan Wilson hit a layup and the ensuing free throw off of a steal by Shawna Nicols.
The Badgers had a season high 14 steals and forced the Wildcats into 22 turnovers on the day.
A backdoor cut by Ashley Josephson and a textbook bounce pass by Lello Gebisa put the Badgers up 27-23 at halftime.
Featuring a very physical atmosphere in the post, the first half of play pitted the Badgers’ inside players up against 6-foot-5 Shawntinice Polk. Polk managed seven first-half points, which was offset by the nine points scored by the Badgers’ Gebisa sisters.
“It was a different look,” Polk said. “They’re great post players; you have to give them credit, they played really hard.”
In the second half of play, the Badgers fought off a number of Arizona runs with great passing and offensive balance. The Wildcats would eventually take a 43-42 lead with eight minutes left after guard Natalie Jones hit a huge three-pointer. The Badgers would tie the game at 53-53 with 3:05 remaining in the game, but a failed defensive switch left Arizona guard Julie Brase open for one of her three three-pointers.
“What we didn’t do was make adjustments,” head coach Jane Albright said. “I believe it was Brase that hit that three on the rotation. We didn’t close out, we know she is a shooter, and that three was at a real, real critical time.”
Down by three points, the Badgers turned the ball over on the ensuing possession, and two Wildcat free throws put Arizona up 58-53. Over the final three minutes, the Badgers were outscored 9-2 as they left the Kohl center floor with a 55-62 defeat.
“We thought it could be a shot heard ’round the world, but when it got tough, they were a little tougher,” Albright said. “It was just a game of inches; who would thought it would have been a game of inches against a team ranked 18th in the country?”
Led by a trio of players scoring in double digits, the Badgers could not find a hot shooter all night. Stephanie Rich’s 12 points, Emily Ashbaugh’s 11 points and Ashley Josephson’s 10 points led the Badger offense, while Lello Gebisa’s four blocks and three steals helped anchor the Badger defense.
“We knew it would be a battle and I was really proud of my team,” coach Albright said. “When you play four games in seven days it’s just a hard thing to do…the game was tied and we just didn’t have it in us to finish it off.
The Badgers finished off their non-conference season with a 2-14 record and will attempt to get back on track in Big Ten play as they take on Northwestern Thursday.
“I’m sure we’re all tired, we all study like any other normal student athlete and we just got off of a road trip to Indiana, and I’m pretty tired myself.” Rich said. “It was a frustrating loss today but we’re all confident in each other that we can bounce back.”
