 | | |  | Drake 89, Wisconsin 77
Knapp Center • Des Moines, Iowa • Attendance: 2,430
Box Score | Box Score  |  | |
| | 1st | 2nd | Final | Wisconsin
| 38 | 39 | 77 | Drake
| 43 | 46 | 89 | | Stats at a Glance
| WIS | DU | | FG Percentage | .557 | .530 | | 3-Point FG Percentage | .250 | .474 | | FT Percentage | .714 | .833 | | Offensive Rebounds | 7 | 15 | | Defensive Rebounds | 17 | 21 | | Total Rebounds | 24 | 36 | | Turnovers | 18 | 17 | | Assists | 17 | 20 | | Steals | 6 | 14 | | |
Nov. 23, 2014
DES MOINES -- A lack of rebounding and 18 turnovers cost the Wisconsin women's basketball team its first road game of the season. The Badgers fell at Drake, 89-77, at the Knapp Center on Sunday afternoon.
"Give Drake credit, they were hungry for a win," head coach Bobbie Kelsey said. "They were 0-3, they were tired of losing and we just happened to be on the schedule today. We didn't play our best ball."
| Fast Facts | | • Four players score in double figures for UW | | • Cayla McMorris records career high 16 points | | • Wisconsin shoots season-high 55.7 percent | |
Despite four players scoring in double figures, Wisconsin (1-2) was outrebounded by the Bulldogs, 36-24. Drake also had 14 steals as the Badgers turned over the ball 18 times.
Senior Michala Johnson paved the way for UW with 17 points. Freshman Cayla McMorris put up a career high 16 points while senior Jacki Gulczynski added in 15 and junior Dakota Whyte chipped in 10 points.
The Badgers shot a season-high 55.7 percent (34-of-61) from the field but shot just 25 percent (4-of-16) from behind the 3-point line. Wisconsin was also just 5-of-7 (71.4 percent) from the free throw line while Drake (1-3) went to the line 12 times, making 10 for 83.3 percent.
The Bulldogs shot 53 percent (35-of-66) from the field, including 47.4 percent (9-of-19) from 3-point range. Drake was led by Lizzy Wendell with 33 points while three other players scored in double figures.
"They outrebounded us pretty well but they had 15 (offensive) boards and that's never a good thing," Kelsey said. "We let Wendell go off for 33 points and that certainly is not a way to win, letting one player pretty much beat you."
The Badgers didn't get off to a hot start, scoring only five points in the first five minutes, all coming from Johnson. A steal and a basket from Tessa Cichy followed by a layup from Johnson helped to bring the Badgers within two (11-9) with 15:56 remaining in the first half. Gulczynski found McMorris outside of the arc where the freshman sank a 3-pointer to pull the Badgers to their closest margin of the half, 17-16, at 11:32.
A jumper by Wendell pushed the Bulldogs lead back up to three (19-16) at the 10:21 mark. Gulczynski nailed at 3-pointer at the 6:01 mark to tie game for the first time at 27. Another Wendell 3-pointer quickly dashed that lead until McMorris drove through the middle and was fouled to give Wisconsin its second tie of the half (30-30) with just under five minutes remaining.
A basket from sophomore Malayna Johnson at 4:27 gave the Badgers their only lead of the game, 32-20. UW ended the first half trailing Drake 43-38 as the Bulldogs' Paige Greiner hit a 3-pointer with one second left on the clock.
The Badgers finished the first half shooting 16-for-32 (50 percent) from field-goal range but only 2-for-9 (22.2 percent) from beyond the arc. Drake shot 60 percent (18-of-30) from the field in the first period, including 54.5 percent (6-of-11) from deep.
"They got the ball when it counted," said Kelsey. "We were kind of standing around and not diving on it and not getting it. Their shots were easy shots, I wouldn't say our shots were easy. They had 20 assists on 35 made shots so that's never going to help you.
"As a unit we have to figure out these zones. They're not hard but we're not making the right decisions at the right times and that's part of the problem."
Gulczynski started the second half off with a shot inside the paint at 19:35 to bring the Badgers within three, 43-40, but that energy quickly diminished as a 10-0 run put the Bulldogs up 55-42 with 17:08 to play. Drake took its largest lead of the night eight minutes into the half on back-to-back 3-pointers from Maddy Dean, 67-52.
"We have to get back in transition and we have to box out," Kelsey said. "When you give a team multiple opportunities on one possession, then you're not helping yourselves."
Wisconsin more than doubled its fast-break layups in the second half, scoring 10 points in the half.
Johnson added a career-high four blocks along with grabbing seven rebounds. Gulczynski also notched a block and pulled down five boards. The Badgers ended with only six steals.
Wisconsin is back in action beneath the sunshine in Freeport, Bahamas, where it faces No. 2 South Carolina in the first round of the Junkanoo Jam on Thursday at 3:15 p.m.
