Badgers drop in-state matchup to Green Bay, 63-53

Sunday, December 12

Madison, Wis.

2 p.m.

Wisconsin Badgers

2-9,0-2Big Ten

Green Bay

5-4,2-2Horizon

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Green Bay	23	9	15	16	63
Wisconsin	11	10	15	17	53

Photo by: Tom Lynn

Badgers drop in-state matchup to Green Bay, 63-53

December 12, 2021 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Ellew notches second 20 point game of the year

By: Victoria Dombeck

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin got double-figure scoring from three players but Green Bay's 22 points off turnovers were a difference-maker in a 63-53 win for the Phoenix in a matchup of in-state rivals Sunday at the Kohl Center.

Freshman guard Krystyna Ellew led the way for Wisconsin with 21 points — to go along with a career-high nine rebounds — while junior guard Julie Pospisilova scored 14 and sophomore guard Brooke Schramek added 11.

The performance marked Ellew's second 20-point outing of her young career and gives her 39 points on 43.8% shooting from 3-point range over the Badgers' last two games, stepping up in the absence of starting point guard Sydney Hilliard who was out with a non-COVID related illness. Pospisilova continued her double-digit scoring run, scoring double figurers in every game she's played in this season, extending the streak to nine, with Schramek finishing in double digits for the fourth time in the last five contests.

"I think Krystyna has put together two really good games back to back with 18 against Michigan and then 21 tonight," Head Coach Marisa Moseley said about the freshman Ellew. "Obviously, Sydney was under the weather, so duty calls and you've got to step up. I think people saw that first game of her career and what she's capable of as a scorer, but I think she's starting to see also how she can do it herself."

The trio of Ellew, Pospisilova and Schramek helped fuel a second-half rally that saw the Badgers draw as close as six points on two separate runs, including at the 2:17 mark of the fourth quarter, when an Ellew jumper trimmed the Phoenix lead to 56-50. However, Green Bay's Bailey Butler immediately countered with a 3-pointer that pushed the edge back to nine points and the Phoenix were able to hold off the Badgers from there.

Green Bay converted the Badgers' 20 turnovers — UW's second highest total of the season — into 22 points.

Wisconsin got into an early deficit after Green Bay opened up the game on a 11-0 run, including shooting 3-for-3 from the 3-point line in the first four minutes. Schramek backed this with the first five points for Wisconsin and carried her effort into the second half, including a 2-for-3 showing from 3-point range to complement her seven rebounds.

The Badgers closed the Phoenix's lead to four after a 11-0 run spanning the end of the first period into the first five minutes of the second period thanks to a three triples from behind the arc, two coming from Ellew. But the first half concluded with a 9-2 Green Bay run, giving the Phoenix a 31-21 advantage at halftime.

A deciding factor in the first half was overall field goal percentage, with Wisconsin shooting 24.0% (6 for 25) and Green Bay shooting 40.7% (11 of 28). The Badgers also shot 10-23 (43.5%) from three-point range — their highest number of field goals from deep on the season — and 7-10 (70%) from the free throw line.

Straight from the court
Head Coach Marisa Moseley

On the next two non-conference matchups...
"I think I want us to continue to build momentum, if we can take care of these next two games at home, get people feeling really confident and even more comfortable with our system, then I think that we'll be in good shape heading back to Purdue after the holidays."

Up next: The Badgers will home their final two non-conference matchups of the season, first against Illinois State on Thursday and then hosting Eastern Illinois on Sunday. Wisconsin will re-enter Big Ten play when they welcome Purdue for the last game on 2021 on December 30th.