Though Northern Illinois led in almost every statistical category, the UW women’s basketball team took the game down to the wire as a late run fell just three points short in their 68-65 loss Sunday.
“We gave great effort,” head coach Lisa Stone said. “It’s unfortunate that we didn’t come out with the ‘W’.”
The Badgers failed to capitalize on their height advantage, as 6-foot-7 center Lello Gebisa and 6-foot-5 center Emily Ashbaugh were swarmed by the Huskies’ defense, which does not feature a player listed over 6-foot-3.
“Northern Illinois did a great job converging on the post,” Ashbaugh said. “As soon as you got the ball, there were two people on you, and you knew another was coming.”
Despite a strong performance from Ashbaugh, who posted 15 points, nine rebounds and three blocks on 5-10 shooting, the Badgers were unable dominate inside against the smaller Huskies squad. The Badgers were outscored 26-16 in the paint and managed only a slim 33-32 edge in rebounding.
“Their focus is to get the ball into the paint, and we worked really hard to keep the ball out of the paint,” Northern Illinois head coach Carol Hammerle said. “I think we did a good job.”
The Badgers were also outplayed on the perimeter, as the Huskies shot 47.1 percent from three-point range and held the Badgers to 36.8 percent from beyond the arc. Guard Monique Davis, who hit the game-winner in Northern Illinois’ 49-47 win over the Badgers in last year’s season opener, set a career high with 20 points on 7-10 shooting and shot 2-2 from beyond the three-point arc.
After the Badgers held Northern Illinois to 35.7 percent shooting in the first half, the Huskies shot an impressive 56 percent from the field in the second half, including a remarkable 75 percent from three-point range. The Badgers did not respond to the Huskies’ second half proficiency, shooting just 41.9 percent in the half.
“They lit it up for 56 percent in the second half,” Stone said. “It was a tale of two different shooting teams.”
Down the stretch, forward Lindsay Secrest buried the Badgers with a barrage of threes to finish with 16 points, shooting 4-7 from three-point range.
“If there’s anybody that you want to have the ball in a pressure situation, it’s Lindsay [Secrest],” Hammerle said.
Led by freshman Kristin Wiener, the Huskies reserves outscored the Badgers 15-7 in bench scoring. After starting center Joi Scott left the game three minutes into the first half, Wiener came off the bench to record a game-high 11 first half points on 4-7 shooting.
“Kristen [Wiener] came off the bench and did a great job,” Hammerle said. “To have a freshman come in like Kristen did was just tremendous.”
Despite trailing in field-goal percentage, points in the paint, bench scoring, second-chance points, fast-break points, steals and three-point shooting, the Badgers almost came away with a victory. In a game that saw seven lead changes, the result ultimately came down to a late run that fell just short.
Trailing 57-47 with 6:27 remaining in the second half, the Badgers went on an 11-4 run to cut the lead to three points with 2:20 left in the game. Though they could not complete the comeback, the Badgers displayed a competitive spirit that was not dampened by their shooting woes or the Huskies’ stifling interior defense.
If nothing else, the Badgers’ gritty performance proves that games are decided by more than statistics. Though the intensity and determination the Badgers displayed will not appear on a stat sheet, it will certainly be reflected in the standings.
