A six point victory to close out the regular season against Penn State could not save the Wisconsin women’s basketball team from a bottom four Big Ten finish, and so the team will play Wednesday in the opening round of the Big Ten tournament as the No. 11 seed.
Facing off against 14th-seeded Purdue (6-23, 3-15 Big Ten), the Badgers (9-19, 5-13) will look to advance to the second round by dealing the Boilermakers their 11th consecutive defeat. Purdue’s last win came at Minnesota on Jan. 22, a 90-88 overtime thriller, and has since failed to score more than 70 points in nine of their past 10 contests.
Wisconsin and Purdue have matched up one time already this season, resulting in a 65-56 Wisconsin victory in West Lafayette, Indiana, on Jan. 15. Offensive balance was key in the Badgers’ win, with guards Dakota Whyte, Tessa Cichy and Nicole Bauman scoring 14, 13 and 11 points, respectively. Purdue shot just 32 percent from the field, and the Badgers held the Boilermakers to 26 points in the second half despite 37 shot attempts.
The winner will punch their ticket to face sixth-seeded Minnesota (22-8, 11-7 Big Ten), the same team that knocked the Badgers out of the conference tournament a season ago. In that game, the Badgers were on the verge of an upset until the Gophers crawled back from a late 16-point deficit to win in overtime.
The possibility of revenge, however, is not a primary concern at the moment, according to head coach Bobbie Kelsey, who cited the dangers of overlooking a current opponent.
“I think that’s setting you up a little bit,” Kelsey said. “You get caught up in the two and three ahead, and this is a hard run for any team that starts out on the first day. I just take it one game at a time, and I ask our kids to do that.”
Wisconsin’s defense against Purdue poses a difficult matchup to predict, as neither side has been promising this season. While Purdue has had their fair share of scoring woes in conference play (60.8 ppg), Wisconsin has been equally ineffective at stymieing opposing offenses, allowing more than 72 points per game in the same span.
The Boilermakers’ top scoring threat, forward and all-Big Ten honorable mention Whitney Bays (15.3 ppg), could create problems for Wisconsin’s suspect interior defense. But Purdue’s lack of offensive versatility could force it to rely on its lone star. If the Badgers can stop Bays, the Purdue offense might resort to their troubling outside shooting game, which has shot at a 23 percent clip this season.
After losing star Michala Johnson early in the season to a torn ACL, Wisconsin’s offense has been led by the breakout efforts of junior guard and honorable mention All-Big Ten selection Nicole Bauman (15.1 ppg). Behind Bauman’s efficiency from behind the three-point line (47%, the second highest in all of Division I), the Badgers have revamped their scoring identity from a heavy post-minded approach to an outside-shot first mentality.
Aside from her consistency from three-point range, Kelsey also pointed out Bauman’s versatility as a shooter. Unlike many players, Kelsey said Bauman has taken the time to adopt a mid-range game that involves searching for the best look.
“That’s the one thing I preached when I first got here because I’ve seen it,” Kelsey said. “Kids either want to get all the way to the basket, or they just want to shoot threes.
“When the defense gets on you, you got to be able to pull up, and I think that’s why Nicole is such a threat.”
Game Vitals
What: Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, first round
Who: Wisconsin vs. Purdue
Where: Sears Centre Arena, Hoffman States and IL
When: Wednesday, March 4, 25 minutes after the conclusion of Indiana vs. Penn State at 5 p.m. CT
Watch/Listen: BTN Plus/The Mic 92.1
Records on a neutral court this season: Wisconsin (0-2), Purdue (1-1)
Wisconsin Probable Starters: (With season scoring averages)
Nicole Bauman – G (15.1 ppg), Dakota Whyte – G (11.0 ppg), Tessa Cichy – G (9.3 ppg), Jacki Gulczynski – F (9.6 ppg), F – Cassie Rochel (6.7 ppg)
Key Reserves
AnnMarie Brown – G/F (2.2 ppg), Cayla McMorris – G (5.1 ppg), Malayna Johnson – F (4.2 ppg)
Purdue Probable Starters:
Ashley Morrissette – G (11.1 ppg), Bridget Perry – G (10.2 ppg), April Wilson – G (8.9 ppg), Liza Clemons – F (8.8 ppg), Whitney Bays – F (15.3 ppg)
Key Reserves
Andreona Keys – G (5.5 ppg), Hayden Hamby – G (2.2 ppg), Bree Horrocks – C (2.3 ppg)
