While it was pouring outside, the Wisconsin women’s basketball team made it rain inside the Kohl Center on Sunday afternoon.

The Badgers shot 38.5 percent from the field and 34.8 percent from beyond the arc en route to a 71-51 victory against an undersized and overmatched Northern Illinois team (1-2). Wisconsin is 3-0 for the first time since the 2009-2010 season. Junior forward Jacki Gulczynski led the charge with a game-high 15 points, dropping 13 in the first half.

The first five minutes of the game proved to be frustrating for the Badgers, a span in which UW only scored five points. They were unable to feed junior forward Michala Johnson in the middle because of  the Huskies’ 3-2 zone that took away the passing lanes. Head coach Bobbie Kelsey made a key adjustment during the first media timeout, instructing her guards to rapidly move the ball around the perimeter to get the defense shifting and create more scoring options.

“Mick [Johnson] is a great post player, so they have to send two at her on every play, or else she’s gonna go to work,” Gulczynski said. “So we tried to focus on staying spread and getting to the open spot, and when you catch it you gotta make it.”

Gulczynski opened the scoring by draining a three from the right wing. Following the adjustments, the Badgers were able to get better looks around the hoop. Fifth-year senior guard Taylor Wurtz knocked down a three-pointer in between a pair of Gulczynski three’s which extended the lead to 21-8 and kicked off a 17-2 run. The first Gulczynski score from beyond the arc was a perfect example of the new “inside-outside” offensive strategy Kelsey wants to employ. Gulczynski fed Johnson down low, who then kicked it back out to Gulczynski in the corner for a wide-open look.

The Badgers were firing on all cylinders inside, muscling for four layups to cap off the run. They entered the locker room at halftime up 33-18. Allowing 18 points in one half is no small feat, and it was partially due to NIU’s poor shooting percentage of 28.1 percent and not hitting any of their three attempted three-pointers. They also did not attempt a free throw in the half. NIU’s Alicia Johnson led the Huskies in scoring with a mere six points.

“We go into every game with a game plan,” Kelsey said. “If you don’t do that, you allow them to get comfortable and allow them to do what they’re used to doing so we try to take them out of their comfort zone and force them to make adjustments.”

Sophomore point guard Dakota Whyte impressed once again while directing the offense. She finished with five assists, one of those feeding Johnson down low who finished with a nice post-move. On the next possession, Whyte drilled a three-pointer from the top of the arc which increased the lead to 20 (38-18). After a pair of Huskie baskets, Wurtz hit a three with 15 minutes, 48 seconds left to bring the lead to 21. Senior guard Morgan Paige, who finished with eight points, drove hard to the hoop and finished strong, putting the Badgers up by 23 with 12:20 remaining. Sophomore guard Nicole Bauman joined the scoring party by converting from beyond the arc, and Paige scored a contested layup in transition after a Wurtz steal.

The Badgers then went into a lull, only scoring about six points in about a 10 minute span. UW was getting open looks at the basket and displayed a wide variety in their shot selection. There were several three’s that rattled in and out. Unable to buy a bucket, captain Wurtz got to the charity line and was successful 5-6 times throughout the dry streak. In the final seconds, senior forward Daria Kryuchkova hit a 14-footer for her first field goal of the season which the 3,689 spectators at the Kohl Center greatly enjoyed.

“We missed some shots we probably should’ve made,” Kelsey said. “But everybody is taking good shots. It’s not something we can correct, but they’ll fall — they’ll fall eventually.”

NIU failed to mount a comeback of any significance. Redshirt junior Danny Pulliam was their only scorer to crack double digits with 11 points. However, their severe lack of height was the most detrimental aspect of the game for the Huskies.

“Their size and their length really affected us,” NIU head coach Kathi Bennett said. “Wisconsin is a very smart team and they definitely play well together.”