Badgers Eke Out 79-76 Win Over UWGB
December 11, 2004 | Women's Basketball
Freshman Jolene Anderson's 29 points and clutch shooting late in the game by the Badgers gave the University of Wisconsin women's basketball team a thrilling, 79-76 triumph over in-state rival UW-Green Bay Saturday afternoon at the Kohl Center.
Anderson poured in 17 points in the second half to keep UW (4-4) in the game, even though the Phoenix (6-2) shot 49.2 percent (31-of-63) overall, including a whopping 64.3 percent (9-of-14) from beyond the arc.
Wisconsin junior Jordan Wilson, who collected 13 points and nine rebounds, sealed the win with two free throws with 4.7 seconds left. Senior teammate Stephanie Rich chipped in 11 points and had four blocks.
The Phoenix' leading scorer, Tiffany Mor, topped her 15.0 ppg average with a career-high 24 points. The senior forward also grabbed nine rebounds, while classmate Abby Scharlow had 20 points and five steals.
'We hung in there against a tremendously well-coached and talented basketball team,' head coach Lisa Stone said. '(It was) a great team effort, and I'm very proud of our players.'
The game was close for long spurts throughout the first half. UW-Green Bay missed four layups, but Wisconsin committed five turnovers as the game was tied 13-13 with 11:50 remaining. Over the next nine minutes, the Phoenix slowly built up a six-point cushion before the Badgers deflated it with a 7-1 run.
Mor then added two layups before Anderson's put-back at the buzzer cut UW-Green Bay's edge to 41-39 at the break.
The Phoenix used a 14-6 run to start the second period for the 55-45 lead with 15:36 on the clock. Three 3-point baskets'one each by Ashley Josephson, Rich and Anderson'brought the Badgers within four.
Despite more runs by UW-Green Bay, Wisconsin hung in the game and with 1:10 left, took a one-point advantage with Anderson's 3-point shot.
Scharlow then dribbled into traffic and committed a turnover, and the Phoenix was forced to foul. On the final play, UW's defense clamped down and made UWGB shoot an off-balance, contested 3-point attempt, which missed badly.
'What a gutsy performance defensively,' Stone said. 'We never were down. We stayed positive.'
The Badgers will next face Santa Clara in a non-conference game at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Kohl Center.
Game Notes
UW won its second straight against UW-Green Bay for a 16-6 lead in the all-time series 'Wisconsin concluded its match-ups against in-state opponents with a 2-1 record ' Jolene Anderson's 29 points were a career-high and fourth-most by a UW freshman ' Anderson has scored in double-digits in seven of the team's eight games ' Anderson also led the team in scoring for the sixth time this season ' Jordan Wilson turned 21 today
Post-game quotations
UW HEAD COACH LISA STONE
Opening statement: '(I'm very, very proud of our basketball team. What a gutsy performance defensively. We hung in there against a tremendously well-coached and talented basketball team. I have the utmost respect for Green Bay and what they do. They play hard.
'Not one play does a game make, not one game does a season make. It's a very special one for our team ' a well-deserved group of women that have worked very, very hard for this game. It's been a while since we beat a ranked team. It just feels wonderful. A great team effort and I'm very proud of our players.'
Did her team play the game of their lives (as Kevin Borseth said)': 'We just hung in there. We never were down, we stayed positive, we rallied the troops early ' the momentum at the end of the half, Jolene's tip-in at the half ' that just builds momentum'.It was gut check for our team, we answered the call. Every game is the biggest game of the year 'I say it a lot and it's the same old, same old, but it's the truth. That's how you have to play every game and our team will take that lesson from today.'
UW-GREEN BAY HEAD COACH KEVIN BORSETH:
Opening statement:'It really wasn 't meant to be. This was meant for Wisconsin. I thought our kids played extremely well. I think Wisconsin obviously played extremely well, because I think they beat a very good team.
'I'm telling you ' it just wasn't meant to be. It was very difficult. I'm sure we're going back and videotape and see things we could have done to play better. They played extremely well. They played the game of their life today ' I really believe that ' but they had to. Playing against hyphen Green Bay I think they came out and played the way that they're going to be capable of playing in the future.'
