Badgers at UW-Green Bay Wednesday
December 12, 2006 | Women's Basketball
The Badgers will be tested Wednesday playing at cross-state rival UW-Green Bay (5-3). That game will be available on WTSO Radio AM 1070 and live video streamed on the Horizon League Web site at www.horizonleague.org . Green Bay has already knocked off two Big Ten opponents this season in Minnesota (75-66) and Iowa (67-43). The Badgers close the first semester at home Friday with Harvard University at 7 p.m.
UW (10-1) beat the University of Albany 75-46 Sunday to become the third fastest UW team to 10 wins in school history. The 1982-83 began the season 10-1 (start was 13-1), and the 2001-02 team went 10-1 (start was 16-1).
After a season-opening six straight wins, the best start and longest win streak under fourth year coach Lisa Stone, the Badgers are on a four-game win-streak and remain undefeated at home at 7-0.
LAST TIME OUT
In another fast start, the Badgers jumped out to a 16-4 lead and held the Albany Great Danes at bay 75-46 to earn their 10th win and remain undefeated at home with a 7-0 mark. Led by Jolene Anderson's season-best 28 points and Janese Banks first double-double of the year with 13 points and 12 rebounds, Wisconsin continued its strong defensive efforts against Albany. The Great Danes shot just 34 percent from the field (18-of-53) and were outrebounded by the Badgers 50-27, including an 18-5 deficit in offensive boards. UW also finished with nine steals, including a season-best six from Anderson which tied her career mark. UW led 36-20 at halftime.
ANDERSON NAMED NAISMITH PLAYER OF YEAR CANDIDATE
Guard Jolene Anderson (Port Wing, Wis.), is one of 50 premier players in the nation that are on the Naismith Watch List for the 2006-06 Naismith National Player of the Year. The Naismith Trophy is the most prestigious national award presented annually to the men's and women's players of the year.
The Top 50 list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, comprised of leading basketball journalists, and administrators from around the country. The board based its pre-season criteria on player performances from last season and expectations for the 2006-07 season. The list will be narrowed in January to the top 30 players, and that list will be eligible for the final ballot voted on in March.
Anderson is a two-time USA Basketball gold medalist who has led the Badgers in scoring the past three seasons.
BADGER COACH LISA STONE
Head coach Lisa Stone is in her fourth season at Wisconsin with a 43-52 (.453) school record, and achieved career victory No. 400 with the win over Idaho State Nov. 25. In her 22nd season of coaching, Stone is 418-170 overall (.711 winning percentage). She ranked 22nd in all-time career win percentage among active Division I coaches at the beginning of the 2006-07 season. Stone, who inherited a 7-21 team, was 10-17 (4-12 Big Ten) in her first season at Wisconsin, and 12-16 (5-11 Big Ten) in 2004-05. Her 2005-06 team was 11-18 and ninth in the Big Ten with a 5-11 record.
INDIVIDUAL UPDATES
BRINGS HER `A' GAME: Guard Jolene Anderson (Port Wing, Wis.), started a new double-digit scoring streak with 24 points vs. S. Mississippi and it now stands at four including a season high 28 points in her last outing. Her previous double-figure scoring streak ended at 35 games after collecting just five points in the loss at UC-Riverside Nov. 28. Anderson did have the longest in the Big Ten which dated back to the last game of 2005 until Nov. 28, 2006. The streak ended 10 games shy of the school record of 45 held by LaTonya Sims. Anderson has scored in double figures in 64 of her 68 career games. Wisconsin lost all four games in which she was held below 10 points. Her career-low was two points against Iowa State on Dec. 5, 2004, the sixth game of her career.
Anderson was named the MVP of the Rebel Shootout in Las Vegas recording her first double-double of the year and 12th of her carer with 13 points and 12 rebounds in the championship game with UNLV. She was also all-tournament and MPV of last year's 2005 Rainbow Wahini Classic in Hawaii.
She is UW's leading scorer for the third-straight season with 16.7 points per game which ranks second in the Big Ten. Last year she averaged 17.3 points per game which ranked fourth in the Big Ten in overall stats. She was the fastest male or female Badger to score 1,000 points (end of sophomore season; career points now 1,184), and has had 13 double-doubles in her career.
Anderson finished her freshman season as the fourth-best conference scorer while leading UW with 17.8 points per game. She set the UW frosh scoring records for points (497) and average (17.8), 3-point goals made and attempted marks hitting 53-165, and free throw percentage with 52-61 for 85.2 percent.
Anderson has made at least one 3-pointer in 56 of her 68 career games. Wisconsin is 5-6 in games which Anderson did not make a 3-pointer.
SHE'S MONEY: Junior guard Janese Banks (Indianapolis) is the second-leading scorer with 13.5 points per game. She showed her versatility with a great stats line at Air Force and earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors with a career-high 28 points on 9-of-13 shooting including three-of-four 3-pointers. She also added seven rebounds and four assists. She is leading the team in field goal shooting hitting 55 percent.
Banks was the second-leading scorer in 2005-06 with 12.8 points per game. She led the Badgers in assists with 4.42 per game while playing point guard. She has led UW in most free throws the past two years and does again converting 39-52 for 75.0 percent. Banks was named to the Rebel Shootout all-tournament team, her second such honor.
TEDDY BEAR: Sophomore Center Caitlin Gibson (Jefferson, Wis.), who takes a teddy bear with her on road trips, has scored in double figures in four games including a career-high 15 points vs. Western Michigan. She is averaging 8.3 points per game compared with 5.1 ppg as a freshman.
THE BLOCKMASTER: Junior 6-4 center Danielle Ward (Milwaukee, Wis.) is leading the team in blocks (1.73), and fouls (3.1) and is second in steals (2.0). Has lost playing time sitting in foul trouble. A starter in the last eight games of 2006, she ranked third on the team in scoring (10.2) and was second in rebounding with 5.7 per game. She had 11 boards vs. K-State and added a season high 16 points vs. UNLV. Ward was named to the Rebel Shootout all-tournament team, her first such honor.
SUGAR RAE: Sweet Rae Lin D'Alie (Waterford, Wis.) is the first TRUE starting point guard at Wisconsin since Dee Dee Pate graduated in 2000. The 5-3 freshman (pronounced duh lee ah) ties Purdue's starting point guard, FahKara Malone, as the smallest starting point guard in the nation. She was a perfect 5-of-5 from the floor and had a career-high 12 points against UW-Milwaukee. She leads UW in assists with 3.73 per game.
MISS CONSISTENCY: Freshman 6-2 forward Brittany Heins (Postville, Iowa) was sidelined by a right ankle injury in the Central Connecticut State game 11/17 and missed the UW-Milwaukee game. A good post player with a nice outside touch, she made her first 3-pointer in collecting a career-high seven points on 12/7 and is slowly increasing her playing time while averaging 2.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.
THE IGNITER: Freshman Mariah Dunham (Watertown, Wis.) usually comes off the bench to hit a couple quick shots which ignites the Badgers and the crowd. The post player can be an outside threat with the 3-pointer where she is hitting 13-32 for 40.6 percent. Dunham has hit for double-figures in four games with a career-high 14 points vs. S. Mississippi. She is averaging 7.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
UW TEAM NOTES
NO SENIORS: The 2006-07 Badger squad has NO SENIORS. The team consists of seven freshmen, two sophomores, and four juniors.
SAME LINEUP: The Badgers have used the same starting lineup all season (Ward, Gibson, Banks, Anderson, D'Alie)
9-PLAYER ROTATION: All nine players used in the regular rotation are averaging double-digit minutes.
POLLS: The Badgers received 20 votes in the Associated Press Poll on Nov. 27, seven votes Dec. 4 and 13 votes Dec. 11.. The last time the Badgers were ranked in either poll was Feb. 18, 2002 (17-8 record by USA Today).
ALL GOOD: This season the Badgers have led (10 times) or tied at the half (once), the bench has outscored, and UW has outrebounded all 11 of its opponents.
' Wisconsin is 10-0 when leading at the half.
' Wisconsin is 10-1 when outrebounding its opponent
' Wisconsin is 10-1 when outscoring its opponents bench
SCORING DEFENSE: Wisconsin is using its defense to outscore and confound its opponents. UW is allowing opponents an average of just 50.7 points per game this season (1st in the Big Ten). The school record for opponent points allowed is 53.5 set in 1974-75.
SCORING MARGIN: Ten of 11 Badger opponents have scored 58 or less points, and five have scored less than 50 points. UW is averaging 22.3 points more than its opponents (1st in Big Ten).
POINT PRODUCTION: The high-flying Badgers scored 91 points in their first game against Air Force and are averaging 73.0 points per game. The 91 points was the most points scored since a 104-91 win over Santa Clara in 2004. The Badgers rank second in the Big Ten in points per game.
REBOUNDING PROWESS: Last season UW was the top rebounding team in the Big Ten with 40.0 rebounds per game. UW was also the conference leader in offensive boards with 16.34 per game. This season UW has outrebounded every team and is fifth in the conference averaging 40.7 rebounds per game (ranks second in offensive boards with 15.64 per game).
STEALS: UW ranks first in the Big Ten in steals per game averaging 11.55.
TURNOVERS: The Badgers ranked first in the Big Ten in turnover margin forcing opponents into 22.91 turnovers per game while averaging 18.27 for a plus margin of 4.64. UW has made fewer turnovers than its opponent in eight-of-11 games this season
HOME RECORD: Wisconsin's 7-0 home start is the best since 2001-02 when the team went 9-0 enroute to a 10-3 home mark. UW's best home record is 12-1 (1983-84). That team started 11-0 before a loss. UW has also been 11-1 at home twice.
SEASON START: The 10-1 mark is the best start and the six-straight wins to start the sesaon was the longest win streak for Lisa Stone. The 2001-02 Badger team started the season with a 16-1 record.
CLOSE GAMES: UW is 2-1 in games decided by three points or less. Last year UW was 0-4, and 2-8 in games decided by six points or less. The K-State victory ranks sixth in Stone 's comeback wins (9 point deficit).
RPI: Wisconsin's RPI has fluctuated with its opponents, but the Big Ten Conference has remained the No. 1 conference throughout the pre-season. With all of its teams at or above the .500 mark, Big Ten women's basketball is off to its best start since 1998. UW's RPI is from 47-70 of 332 D-1 schools, and the non-conference opponent mark is 47-62 (.431 percent).
PRE-SEASON BIG TEN PICKS: Wisconsin was picked to finish sixth in the Big Ten by the coaches and by the media in the Big Ten Pre-season Polls. UW junior Jolene Anderson was a pre-season pick for first-team All-Big Ten by both polls.ST
NEXT BADGER OPPONENT
Scouting Report: University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
The Phoenix enter the game Wednesday with a 5-3 overall record, including a 3-1 mark at home.
-Three players average double figures for UW-Green Bay, led by Nicole Soulis's 18.0 ppg average. Natalie Berglin puts up 12.3 ppg while Rachel Porath averages 11.0 ppg. Kayla Groh is close at 9.8 ppg. Soulis is the team's leading rebounder at 5.6 rpg.
-UW-Green Bay and Wisconsin have had one similar opponent this year in Kansas State. UWGB fell to the Wildcats in the season-opener 72-67. Meanwhile the Badgers defeated K-State two weeks later 56-53.
-The Phoenix have played two other Big Ten schools this year in Minnesota and Iowa. UW-Green Bay earned wins against both the Gophers (75-66) and Hawkeyes (67-43).
The Coach
Head coach Kevin Borseth enters his ninth season at UW-Green Bay and his 20th campaign as an NCAA collegiate head coach. Last season, Borseth led UWGB to its eighth straight Horizon League regular season title under his watch.
The Series
Wisconsin leads the all-time series with UWGB, 16-6, including the previous two meetings. The two teams did not meet last year. The Badgers claimed the most recent meeting, however, a 79-76 win back on Dec. 11, 2004. Three UW players reached double figure scoring in that game, led by a career-high 29 from then-freshman Jolene Anderson. The now departed Jordan Wilson and Stephanie Rich had 13 and 11, respectively.
