Badgers Host South Dakota State Tonight
December 08, 2005 | Women's Basketball
The Wisconsin women's basketball team hopes to get back on the winning track tonight when it hosts the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State University at 7 p.m. in the Kohl Center. It is one of two final home games before the semester break.
The Badgers (4-3) lost their third consecutive game to a Big East opponent with the hard-fought 77-72 decision to No. 11 Notre Dame Sunday in Madison. It was the second loss in three games to a nationally ranked opponent. UW placed second in the Rainbow Wahini Classic to then No. 17 Depaul, 76-57. The Badgers lost to cross-state rival Marquette University Friday, 71-59. UW is now 2-2 at home this season.
Wisconsin meets new Division I opponent South Dakota State (4-2) Thursday before returning to the road for its first appearance at Kansas on Sunday. The Jayhawks are 6-0 on the season.
South Dakota State most recently tallied a 70-55 home victory over UW-Milwaukee Dec. 4, a team Wisconsin plays Dec. 14. Christina Gilbert led SDSU with 12 points while Jennifer Warkenthein had 11 points and led the team with seven boards.
The Jackrabbits beat Colorado State (82-75) and UC-Irvine (81-56) to win the Coors Rocky Mountain Invitational in Boulder earlier this year. Megan Vogel was named the tournament's most valuable player. SDSU also beat Nebraska 68-49 in the season-opener. Losses came to Drake (54-52) and Middle Tennessee State (79-72).
Vogel is the team's leading scorer with 14.3 points per game and also averages six rebounds per game. Ashlea Muckenhirn puts up 10.5 ppg while Gilbert paces the Jackrabbits on the boards with 6.5 rpg and also chips in 7.7 ppg.
South Dakota State is in its second season as a NCAA Division I school as an independent after a long tradition of Division II success. The squad has made nine NCAA DII postseason appearances, including three consecutive trips to the Elite Eight. The Jackrabbits won the NCAA national championship in 2003.
Head coach Aaron Johnston is in his sixth season with SDSU overseeing the change to division I status. The Jackrabbits were 21-7 in their first D-1 season last year.
