Box Score

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin women's basketball team dropped their Big Ten Conference season opener to No. 23 Iowa, 56-46, at the Kohl Center Thursday night.
 
The Hawkeyes jumped out to a 19-5 lead after the first quarter, shooting 57.1 percent (8-14) from the field while the Badgers hit just 14.3 percent (2-14). Wisconsin (7-7 overall, 0-1 Big Ten) improved in the second quarter to shoot 19.4 percent (6-31) for the first half.
 
Iowa (13-1, 1-0) cooled off in the second quarter, hitting just 16.7 percent (2-12) to knock down 38.5 percent (10-26) for the first half to lead 30-14 at the break.  
 
The Badgers came out firing in the second half. Junior Marsha Howard scored five straight points to cut the lead to 30-19 with 7:12 on the clock. Iowa led 36-21 with 5:15 remaining before Wisconsin went on an 8-0 run to make it a 36-29 game with 2:44 to play. UW outscored Iowa 17-15 in the third quarter but the Hawkeyes made five free throws over the last 1:39 to lead 45-31 heading into the final period.  
 
In the fourth quarter, the Badgers outscored the Hawkeyes 15-11, but couldn't overcome the early deficit.
 
Three Badgers scored double-digit points. Sophomore Suzanne Gilreath led the team with 11 points while junior Marsha Howard and sophomore Courtney Fredrickson added 10 points each. 
 
UW shined on defense, collecting a season-high 12 steals while forcing a season-high 21 turnovers by the Hawkeyes. Howard, sophomore Kendra Van Leeuwen and freshman Niya Beverley each grabbed three steals. Wisconsin also had a season-high eight blocks, including three apiece for Kendall Shaw and Abby Laszewski.
 
Iowa outrebounded Wisconsin 49-29 with Shaw pacing the Badgers with six boards.
 

Notable

• The Badgers held the Hawkeyes to a season-low 61 points as Iowa shot a season-low 37.3 percent (19-51) from the field. The Hawkeyes also recorded a season-low 12 assists and tied their season-high with 21 turnovers.
• Wisconsin recorded a season-high 12 steals behind three apiece from Marsha Howard, Kendra Van Leeuwen and Niya Beverley. Howard's and Beverley's takeaways were career highs. UW also had a season-high eight blocks with Abby Laszewski and Kendall Shaw both recording two, a career best for Laszewski.
• Sophomore Suzanne Gilreath tied her career high, playing 28 minutes. She also tied her career best with two steals and took a season-high 13 field-goal attempts.
• Sophomore Kendra Van Leeuwen tied her career best with one block while tying a season high three steals.
• Senior Kendall Shaw played a career-best 22 minutes, tying season highs of six rebounds and three blocks.
• Wisconsin turned the ball over only 10 times, tying for the second fewest in a game this season.

 

Straight from the court

Head Coach Jonathan Tsipis
"I thought Iowa got out and transitioned early, they were able to get the ball up the floor. I thought in the first half (Alexis) Sevillian got them going, had 11 points at halftime. As I told the team after the game, in the Big Ten a lot of times when you look at the rebound margin, you see the difference in the game. I thought in the second half we did a lot of good things. We were more aggressive offensively, I thought the zone was good to us at times. We fouled too much and I thought that helped Megan Gustafson get to the line.
 
"I thought Courtney's (Fredrickson) play at the end of the third quarter was the aggressive mindset we needed to have from the start. We got them out of position, put the ball down - even if she misses the jumper, we're in a better position for an offensive rebound. There's a lot of positives for us, I know they were missing one of their starters, two if you include (Tania) Davis going down earlier (this season). They're a team that relies so much on assisted baskets and leads the nation in assists and we were able to cut that down but we really didn't do a great job of capitalizing off their turnovers.
 
"Definitely some things to pull out from the second half. We didn't quit. We continued to fight. I'm proud of the growth of the team, from the Green Bay game and the Marquette game earlier when we got down. But that's the great part of the Big Ten, you get right back into it and know you're going to have another war the next time you step out onto the floor."
 
On the first half
"Against their zone, we executed the offense really far from the basket. I think to be able to put the ball on the floor, we did a much better job in the second half of attacking gaps and to get paint touches. Whether it's trying to score on the block or get it in the high post or change sides of the floor, everything seemed to be a pass-pass-pass and they could rotate in their zone and that allows them to use their length. The rest of the first half so much of their action was off someone either creating for someone else or a low-post touch. We didn't get that same action."
 
Senior Kendall Shaw
On making Megan Gustafson work for her points
"We just really tried to stay physical with her because she likes that physicality. I think with us trying to keep her off the block and then our guards and other post players like Marsha (Howard) coming down to help, I think that really helped to kind of change it up for her a little bit."
 
Sophomore Courtney Fredrickson
On settling down after trailing in the first quarter
"First of all, letting Alexis Sevillian come out and hit 11 points and three 3-pointers in the first half, we have to get out on that. They had a big run with that in the first quarter and I was saying to coach earlier, it's Big Ten and we can't get down like that. We have to focus on bringing that second-half energy into the first half and not getting ourselves into that hole. I thought we did a great job bringing energy and not quitting in the second half, we just have to carry that over into the first half and make sure that it's all four quarters."
 

Up next

The Badgers take to the Big Ten road for the first time this season, traveling to West Lafayette, Indiana, on Sunday for a game at Purdue. Tip time is 1 p.m. from Mackey Arena.