Following a 67–34 tune-up win Wednesday against UW-Whitewater, the University of Wisconsin women’s basketball team takes on North Florida Tuesday night at the Kohl Center.
The Badgers are looking to build off a 2018-2019 season in which the team finished with a 15-18 record, an improvement from previous years under Head Coach Jonathan Tsipis.
For Wisconsin, it will be a challenge this season replacing senior leader Marsha Howard. Howard, a member of the All-Big Ten second team last year, provided Wisconsin with consistent scoring, averaging 14.7 points per game.
One player that will look to shoulder the load is sophomore star, Imani Lewis. As a freshman last year, Lewis shined and finished the season second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.2 points per game. Lewis started on the right foot again last week against Whitewater, tallying 15 points.
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Like Wisconsin, North Florida also looks to build off of an average 2018-2019 season. After a slow start, North Florida finished strong, winning four out of their last five regular-season games.
The Ospreys then continued to ride their hot momentum into the Atlantic Sun Tournament, defeating North Alabama but losing to Liberty in the Atlantic Sun semifinals.
The Ospreys are awaiting the return of junior guard, Tiffany Tolbert, who appeared in three games last season before a detrimental season-ending injury. In those games, Tolbert averaged 18.3 points per game, including a 21-point performance against Indiana. The return of Tolbert will give North Florida an added boost this season.
Taylor looks to do damage alongside front-court partner junior transfer Jazz Bond. Bond, the forward out of Murfreesboro, TN, was a double-double machine, averaging 15.9 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game. Look for Tolbert and Bond to execute the pick and roll against the Badgers.
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With games against Power Five opponents looming, including matchups against Colorado, Arkansas and Georgia Tech, it is critical that Wisconsin gets on the right track Tuesday night. The Badgers showed a lot of potential in their 67–34 win against UW-Whitewater, and hopefully they can continue to ride the momentum tomorrow night.
The Wisconsin-North Florida game will tip at 7 p.m. Tuesday night at the Kohl Center.
