UW players stepping up to help team

BY KELLI GRASHEL
UW Athletic Communications

MADISON, Wis. — The best players often turn in great performances when it's needed most. That is definitely the case for the women's basketball team in the last few games. Wisconsin's big players have stepped up at crucial times for the Badgers as the team continues to work through its growing pains.

Most notably, sophomore Marsha Howard has played a significant role since breaking out against Tennessee State, setting a new career high with 20 points against Marquette on Sunday. She now ranks ninth in the Big Ten with a field-goal percentage of 57.5 percent.

"This was a big game for us — huge rivalry. I just wanted to go out there and give it my all," Howard said. "In the first quarter, I started off kind of slow. With the help of my coaches and teammates my confidence began to build. Then I was able to dominate their post players down low."

Despite Howard's career best and a game-high 21 points from Cayla McMorris, the Badgers fell in a tough and close battle to in-state rival Marquette. It was the first time since Feb. 11, 2015 that two UW players had scored 20-plus points in a game.

"You break games down into smaller battles and there was a giant battle for us to come back at halftime, and I thought the third quarter may have been one of our more complete quarters of the year," head coach Jonathan Tsipis said. "Not just because we got the lead, but the way that we focused back on how we can be the aggressors.

"We talked as a team at halftime of how Marquette only had two team fouls and that was because we weren't being aggressive on the offensive end the way we are capable of."

The Badgers outscored the Golden Eagles 25-15 in the third period to lead 53-52 after three quarters. Howard's eight-straight points at the end of the game pulled Wisconsin within six, but the Badgers eventually fell, 81-75.

"I was really excited with the third quarter and then we lost our aggressiveness and you could see that in the press offense," Tsipis added. "Just wanting to be in the position where we can be in the advantage once we broke the press. Not only didn't we run successfully there for a period of time, it's a reason that we allow somebody to shoot a really high percentage in the fourth quarter and get to the free-throw line."

In addition to Howard, additional players have been coming off the bench to help the Badgers. Suzanne Gilreath has scored in double figures in four of the last five games. Malayna Johnson and Taylor Kuhn have both earned spots in the starting lineup in the last two games, the first starts of their careers.

All of these contributors have led to increasing growth and productivity from the Badger offense. In its last two games, Wisconsin has shot its best field goal percentages of the season. UW shot 59.2 percent (42-71) from the field against Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 8, which ranks seventh on the school single-game record list. The Badgers followed that up by shooting 49.2 percent (29-59) from the field, its second-highest field goal percentage of the season, against Marquette on Sunday. Over the last two games, Wisconsin is shooting 54.6 percent from field goal range.

Wisconsin looks to clinch its fifth win of the season on the road as the Badgers wrap up the non-conference season against Green Bay (8-1) at 7 p.m. at the Kress Events Center. The game will air on Time Warner Cable Sports Channel and will also be streamed live on ESPN3.

UW will then have a break of more than two weeks before opening Big Ten Conference play on Jan. 1 at the Kohl Center against Michigan at 2 p.m.

UW players stepping up to help team

Players Mentioned

Suzanne Gilreath

Marsha Howard

Malayna Johnson

Taylor Kuhn

Cayla McMorris

Avyanna Young

University of Wisconsin Athletics