Box Score MADISON, Wis. – Behind a career-high 24 points from sophomore
Sydney Hilliard, the Wisconsin women's basketball team opened up their 2020 season with a 73 – 66 win over Western Illinois Sunday afternoon at the Kohl Center. The Monroe, Wisconsin, native led all scorers in the game as the Badgers opened their fourth-straight season with a victory.
The Badgers led for nearly 36 minutes of the game but Western Illinois was able to cut the lead to just three points (48-45) with 2:19 to play in the third quarter. Just five minutes earlier, Wisconsin led 45-34 before the Leathernecks went on an 11-3 run to pull within a single possession. UW scored the last five points of the period to lead 53-34 after three quarters.
Hilliard scored two straight breakaways in the fourth quarter, putting the Badgers up 57-47 with 8:36 to play. Western would cut the lead to five (61-56) with 4:42 remaining but would get no closer.
The Badgers grabbed 50 total rebounds, including 21 offensive boards, to finish with a four-rebound advantage over the Leathernecks. Sophomore
Sara Stapleton led UW with 11 rebounds and added 11 points for her first career double-double. Wisconsin outscored outscored Western Illinois 16–9 in second chance points.
Junior
Imani Lewis added 13 points and redshirt junior
Alex Luehring came off the bench for UW, scoring 11 points in 16 minutes off the bench.
Neither team shot very well - 36.3 % (29-80) for Wisconsin and 36.7% (22-60) for Western Illinois. The Badgers forced 13 steals, led by a career-high six from Julie Pospisilova. UW dished off 16 assists, including five from Pospisilova, but turned the ball over 17 times. Wisconsin's defense forced Western Illinois into 24 turnovers.
Straight from the court
"I was really pleased with how we got out of the gates offensively. You didn't see it today but Julie (Pospisilova) and Estella (Moschkau) have shot it really well in the preseason and we're hoping that will open things up more for Imani (Lewis) and Sara (Stapleton) inside. We got a little bit of everything.
"Syd (Hilliard) understands that we need that scorer and that person who can attack. It helps everybody. It gets our shooters open and it gets Imani and Sara better looks inside. I thought she was really good right from the very start."
- Head coach
Jonathan Tsipis
Notables
- Sophomore Sydney Hilliard led all scorers with a career-high 24 points. The 5-foot-11 guard tied her career high by making 10 field goals while taking a career-high 19 attempts. She also played a career-high 37 minutes.
- Sophomore Sara Stapleton recorded her first career double-double with career highs of 11 points and 11 rebounds.
- Seeing their first action in Badger uniforms were senior transfer Estella Moschkau and freshmen Brooke Schramek, Kate Thompson and Lovisa Djurström. Moschkau tied her career high with seven points while adding career highs for rebounds (5), assists (3) and blocks (2). Schramek had two points, three rebounds and two assists. Thompson pulled down one rebound while Djurström played less that one minute.
- Sophomore Julie Pospisilova led all players with a career-high six steals. She also pulled down a career-high seven rebounds.
- Wisconsin wins its season opener for the fourth-straight year and improves to 31-16 in openers.
Up next
Wisconsin kicks off its Big Ten conference season with a trip to Iowa on Saturday. Tip time is still to be announced from Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. The Badgers return home on Dec. 8 when they face off against Prairie View A&M at 7 p.m. from the Kohl Center
