The University of Wisconsin women’s basketball team played well against the No. 21 Michigan Wolverines but just didn’t have enough in the tank to score the upset.
The Badgers were close throughout the whole game but could not overcome 18 turnovers and the Wolverines’ strong 3-point shooting. UW lost the turnover battle 18-10 and had 19 fouls to Michigan’s 10. This trend has contributed to many of the Badgers’ losses throughout the season.
But the Badgers’ offense has become stronger in the last three games, as they have looked cohesive and potent on the court. In their last game against Nebraska, the Badgers scored 82 points, a Big Ten high for UW, and the team has scored 60-plus points in their last three games. Their offense is getting better, but turnovers and their defensive struggles continued to plague them.
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The Badgers’ defense struggled to contain Michigan’s Katelynn Flaherty, who had 35 points and was a thorn in the Badgers’ side all night long. Flaherty was 12-17 from the floor and a scorching 6-10 from downtown.
The Wolverines hit nine 3-pointers as a team. This turned out to be a major deciding factor in the game, as the Badgers only made five 3-pointers at a clip of 35.7 percent.
The Badgers dominated the rebounding category 40-26 with 12 offensive rebounds. Unfortunately, UW could not do much with the advantage as 18 turnovers negated the benefits.
The offense, while not great, was better than it has been for the most of the year. The Badgers shot 48.3 from the field, and Avyanna Young represented UW well as she scored a team-high 23 points and a team-high 13 rebounds.
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Three other Badgers scored in double figures, with 12 for Cayla McMorris, 11 for Courtney Fredrickson and 10 for Marsha Howard. The bench was not very productive as they only provided seven points of support.
There is no rest for the weary, as the Badgers will have another tough game against No. 2 Maryland on Wednesday. Maryland is the offensive juggernaut of the Big Ten and is ranked first in the conference.
But the game presents a unique opportunity for the Badgers to score an upset and produce serious momentum. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. EST in College Park, Maryland.
