Entering a challenging stretch that includes a pair of conference games against ranked opponents, the UW women’s basketball team (8-10, 2-6) is looking to build confidence and fight its way back into Big Ten contention.
Though Wisconsin currently stands ninth in the Big Ten, wins over No. 13 Minnesota (15-3, 4-3) and No. 18 Michigan State (15-3, 5-2) could propel the Badgers to the middle of the pack in a conference that features four nationally ranked teams.
“Any time you’ve got this many teams in the Big Ten ranked in the top 25, it says a lot about the conference,” head coach Lisa Stone said. “We need to understand that knocking off a ranked team is a great incentive for us. Everybody has got a chance to win in every game and we’re going to lace them up tight and come to compete against these tough teams.”
In order to defeat Minnesota, the Badgers will have to contain the Big Ten’s top-ranked offense. The Golden Gophers lead the conference with an average of 75.1 points per game, which is 16.1 points above the Badgers’ season average.
The Gophers also hold the conference lead in scoring margin, outscoring their opponents by an average of 17.4 points. Minnesota’s potent offense will test a Wisconsin defense that has allowed an average of only 60.4 points this season, 14.7 points under the Gophers’ season average.
“Our defense has been pretty stellar,” Stone said. “We’ll come to battle, come to fight, come to compete, and hopefully we’ll knock off a ranked team.”
The heralded Minnesota attack features two of the top ten scorers in the Big Ten. Guard Lindsay Whalen is the conference’s second-leading scorer, averaging 21.8 points per game, and center Janelle McCarville ranks ninth with 15.7 points per contest.
“They’ve got an awfully good player in there named Janelle McCarville, who I recruited at Drake,” Stone said. “Janelle is a great player. She’s 6-[foot]-1, but she plays 6-[foot]-7. Whalen is fantastic. She can score, she can shoot, she’s quick, she can defend. Those two are their one-two punch and we’re going to have to do a really good job of containing them. We won’t stop them, but we’ll contain them.”
McCarville is also the Big Ten’s top-ranked rebounder, averaging 10.1 boards per game. She pulled down 12 rebounds, including five offensive boards, in the Gopher’s recent loss to Michigan State. After matching up earlier this season with the conference’s second-leading rebounder, Illinois center Cindy Dallas, forward Jordan Wilson is confident that she can control McCarville on the glass.
“Rebounding is all heart,” Wilson said. “If you come in there and you want the board your opponent is not going to get it. It’s all about wanting it more.”
After an impressive performance against Northwestern, in which she posted 15 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, Wilson is expected to start against Minnesota.
“It’s kind of a day-to-day determination, but I like the way Jordan is playing right now and my decision right now would be to start her,” Stone said.
The Badgers will look to capitalize on their height advantage by pounding the ball inside to Wilson, 6-foot-5 center Emily Ashbaugh and 6-foot-7 center Lello Gebisa, who will tower over a Minnesota defense that does not feature a player listed over 6-foot-3.
An effective inside game will open up the perimeter for leading scorer Ashley Josephson, who is having a breakout year. Josephson has averaged 17.6 points over the last three games, leading the Badgers in scoring in all three contests. Over that stretch, Josephson set career-highs in scoring (20), rebounding (8) and three-pointers (4).
“[Josephson] has become one of the most prolific three-point shooters in the Big Ten,” Stone said. “I want her to shoot it and she’ll shoot it. She’s competitive, she has passion for the game and that’s allowed her to elevate her game to a new level this year.”
