MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin women's basketball team (7-4, 0-1 B1G) will continue Big Ten play on the road at Purdue (7-5, 0-1 B1G) on Saturday, Dec. 30. The game will tip-off at 5:00 p.m. (CT) and air on Big Ten Network.
Here are five things to know before the Badgers matchup against the Boilermakers:
1. DOUBLE-DOUBLE FOR D'YANIS: D'Yanis Jimenez clinched her first-ever double-double against Eastern Illinois on Dec. 21. The freshman scored 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Jimenez is 2nd on the team in scoring (11.5 ppg) and leads the Badgers shooting 76.9% (30-39) from the free throw line.
2. STARTERS ARE SCORING: In the previous game against Eastern Illinois all starters scored 10 points or more. Throughout this season, the Badgers have had four starters averaging 10.9 points or more in a game.
3. DEFENSE LIVES HERE: Wisconsin has made big strides on the defensive end of the floor this season. After allowing 72.6 ppg a year ago, the Badgers are holding opponents to just 63.5 ppg in 2023-24.
UW has also been stifling shooters, sitting second in the Big Ten in opponent field goal percentage at 37.0%, down from 43.0% a year ago.
4. LAST TIME OUT: The Badgers hosted Eastern Illinois for the final non-conference game of the season, coming out victorious 74-68. The all-time series against the Panthers now extends to a 4-0 lead in favor of the Badgers.
Wisconsin led in points off turnovers (23-10), points in the paint (34-28) and in fast-break points (20-7).
UW has shown improvement in non-conference play going 7-3, compared to last season's record of 3-6.
5. SCOUTING THE BOILERMAKERS: The Badgers will play Boilermakers for the 79th time on Saturday, Dec. 30. Purdue leads the all-time series 56-22. Being close competitors in recent years, five of the last six games between the two teams have ended in a score with a three-point difference or less.
Purdue is 7-5 on the season and 0-1 in Big Ten play. The Boilermakers see their strength at the charity stripe where they are shooting 77.7% (2nd in B1G).
Abbey Ellis leads Purdue in scoring (14th in B1G), averaging 14.9 points per game. Ellis also steals the ball frequently, claiming 22 on the season for an average of 1.83/game.
