After coasting to a 77-45 victory over Arkansas State Sunday, the University of Wisconsin women's basketball team is currently one of 16 teams remaining in the WNIT.

However, the Badgers' quarterfinal matchup will be no easy task, as Wisconsin (20-12) will play host to the Kentucky Wildcats (20-13) Thursday.

UW head coach Lisa Stone knows her squad will have its hands full, especially around the basket where Kentucky has two strong post players in 6-foot-6 center Sarah Elliot and 6-foot-3 forward Jennifer Humphrey.

Despite the Wildcats' size and skill down low, Stone said her starting lineup will remain the same.

"But there's a very, very good chance that you will see Caitlin Gibson and Danielle Ward on the floor at the same time," said Stone of her 6-foot-4 forwards.

Kentucky's guard play is nothing to scoff at, either. Samantha Mahoney and Carly Ormerod average 12.4 and 9.8 points, respectively.

"One person's not going to stop [Mahoney]," UW junior guard Jolene Anderson said. "She's a great player, and she's going to get her points. It needs to be a team effort [defensively] to slow her down."

Sharpshooter Jenny Pfeiffer is Kentucky's sparkplug, coming off the bench. She was four for eight from 3-point range in the Wildcats' second-round 85-82 victory over Ball State Monday.

Kansas was the only other non-conference team from a power conference that Wisconsin has played this season, and the Badgers took it to the Jayhawks 68-41 in what Stone referred to as one of the most complete games this team has played all year.

But she and the team know Thursday's matchup will be no cakewalk.

"[Kentucky is] a solid basketball team," UW junior guard Janese Banks said. "Mickie DeMoss is a great coach, and she's going to have her team prepared, but we're going to do our job and play our game."

The Badgers certainly played their game Sunday as they started the game on a 15-2 run and kept their feet on the gas.

"We just have to come ready to play like we did on Sunday," Anderson said. "If we continue doing that, then we're going to be hard to beat."

And Stone knows the key to that is a solid defense.

"We're at our best when our defense leads to offense, and we're in full court transition, there's no question," Stone said. "But we don't get into transition without getting defensive stops."

That wasn't a problem for Wisconsin Sunday, forcing 17 first-half turnovers against Arkansas State.

A win Thursday will tie the program's record of 21 wins in a single season and will set a new record of 15 home wins in a season.

"This is the starting year for what's up and coming," Banks said. "We want to make this a program where we go to the NCAA tournament every year. We're making history."