MADISON, Wis. - Wisconsin (4-11, 0-4 B1G) returns home to prepare for a Border Battle matchup against the Minnesota this upcoming Sunday, Jan. 8. Tip time is set for 3 p.m. from the Kohl Center and the game can be streamed on B1G+ or listened to on WTSO. 

Here are five things to know before the Badgers compete against the Gophers: 

1. STARTING OFF 2023: In the first game of 2023, Wisconsin came up short against Purdue in West Lafayette, 73-61. Avery LaBarbera finished the night off with 16 points and six rebounds of her own. The Badgers' 26 turnovers made it difficult for Wisconsin to succeed offensively. With two minutes to play in the third quarter, the deficit was cut down to just one, but the 14 points scored in the fourth quarter off of Wisconsin's seven turnovers propelled the Boilermakers to the victory.

2. LETHAL LABARBERA: The Holy Cross transfer continues to impress on the court for the Badgers. In the game against Purdue, the fifth-year came up just one point short of tying her season-high points at 17. Against Illinois in the game before, the 2022 Patriot League Player of the Year ended the contest with five steals, which was a season-best for her.

3. SHOOTING SUCCESS: Although the Badgers are still looking for their first win in the last four games, Wisconsin has finished with a higher made field-goal percentage than its opponent in the last two games. The team is finding success from the floor, going 23-for-47 on New Year's Day, which was the second-highest FGM/A of the 2022-2023 season.

4. TURNOVER TROUBLES: Despite the fact that Wisconsin is doing well scoring, the number of turnovers makes it difficult for the Badgers to take advantage of their shooting success. The Red and White turned the ball over 26 times against the Boilermakers and 22 against Illinois. With Purdue capitalizing on that, the opponent scored 30 points off of the mistakes and put the game out of reach for Wisconsin. 

5. SCOUTING THE GOPHERS: This Border Battle will be a highly anticipated matchup as these two teams have become rivals within the Big Ten in their 27 matchups since 2001. The Gophers have the upper hand against Wisconsin, owning a 21-6 record in the all-time series. Minnesota is currently 87 and 1-3 in the Big Ten, most recently falling to No. 3 Ohio State on Thursday. The opposing team is led by a young group, as the starters consist of three true freshmen, a redshirt freshman, and a sophomore. Amaya Battle is one of the three true freshman and is the No. 1 freshman in the conference in both rebounding and blocks per game. Mara Braun, a freshman out of Wayzatta, Minnesota leads the team in points per game with 18.1.