MADISON – This was a game the Wisconsin women’s basketball team had to have.
The Badgers took the floor Saturday afternoon at the Kohl Center against Rutgers, the last-place team in the Big Ten that has been playing short-handed due to injuries. It was UW’s first game since knocking off Minnesota on Tuesday, a perfect opportunity for a young team to build momentum while playing in front of what has been traditionally a large crowd on National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
Wisconsin made the most of it.
Led by sophomore forward Serah Williams’ sixth straight double-double, the Badgers scored a wire-to-wire 73-62 victory in front of 6,035 that raised the team’s overall record to 10-9 and its Big Ten mark to 3-6.
“Coming off Minnesota, we talked about how important this game was, that these games can be dangerous,” Wisconsin coach Marisa Moseley said. “When you’re feeling good, you’re coming off a W and you look at the record, I wanted to reiterate to our team that their record is not indicative of how they’ve played other people in the Big Ten, how competitive they are.”
BOX SCORE: Wisconsin 73, Rutgers 62
The contest did come down to the final minutes, but UW went home with the win thanks to its most dominant first quarter of the conference season, it third-highest bench production of the season (19 points) and a couple of productive performances from the 1-2 punch of Williams and sophomore Ronnie Porter.
Williams tied a career-high with 31 points while grabbing 12 rebounds and blocking four shots. Porter, a sophomore guard, registered 11 points, a career-high nine assists and five rebounds. Freshman guard D’Yanis Jimenez returned from a one-game absence due an undisclosed injury and had 10 points while senior Halle Douglass tied a season high with nine points plus five boards.
UW led by 19 points after the first quarter but saw the lead dwindle to four in the fourth quarter before it closed the contest with a 12-5 run.
“It’s a 40-minute game and we have to be able to finish and I think you saw that,” Moseley said. “They made a late run. We were able to weather that storm, but it was a huge win because we’re trying to stack those and understand that we’re trying to build confidence and we’re building some momentum here.”
Here are three takeaways from the win:
Serah Williams continues to impress
Williams’ 28 minutes of action were her fewest since she played 17 against Iowa on Dec. 10. She sat for stretches in the second, third and fourth quarters due to foul trouble.
However, when Rutgers cut UW’s lead to 10, 57-47, with 6 ½ minutes left, Moseley put Williams back into the game with four fouls and she played with a confidence that helped settle down the team. She hit 4 of 5 shots, including a three-pointer.
Williams scored nine of UW’s final 16 points and didn’t foul out.
“For her to play (the fourth quarter) foul-free (was important) but then also we could go to her,” Moseley said. “She made some huge plays there on the offensive end as well.”
UW’s passing was on point
The Badgers’ 18 assists were their fourth-highest total of the season and accounted for 72% of the team’s buckets. The team did an especially good job of working the ball to Williams in positions where she was able to make the catch in great position to score.
Williams hit 12 of 14 shots that included 2 for 2 from three-point range. Her 10 buckets inside the paint came off nine assists.
Overall, five of Porter’s assists went to Williams. Senior Brooke Schramek had four assists, three to Williams, and overall her passing has been key to UW’s high-low game in the post.
“Shout-out to Brooke Schramek,” Williams said. “I honestly don’t think I’d be the player I am today without her. She’s just so great at finding me all the time.”
Wisconsin set the tone for with its defense
The Badgers allowed just three points in the first quarter while holding the Scarlet Knights to 6.7% (1 for 15) shooting. Both those statistics were season-bests for UW. Also, the team’s 19-point lead after one quarter was its largest of the season.
The effort marked the second straight game Wisconsin set the tone for the first quarter with its defense. Minnesota scored just six points and shot 11.8% on Tuesday.
“I think because we changed the way we approach the games now, we come out with more intensity and more togetherness,” Porter said. “It really starts with warmups for us. We’re a fun team and when we’re having fun, I wouldn’t say things come easy, but it’s easier for us to play as one and that’s what we did.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin women’s basketball’s fast start sets tone in win vs. Rutgers
