MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin women's basketball team (11-12, 4-9 B1G) embarks on the first leg of its two-game road trip as it takes on Rutgers (8-19, 2-12 B1G) on Saturday, Feb. 17. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. from Jersey Mike's Arena and the game can be streamed live on B1G+ or listened to on 1070 WTSO-AM.
Here are five things to know before the Badgers matchup against the Scarlet Knights for the second time this season:
1. SERAH'S STANDOUT SEASON: Serah Williams is still amid her consecutive double-double record, most recently notching her 10th straight. Williams collected 18 points and 14 rebounds against the Hoosiers, the 13th double-double the sophomore has secured this season.
2. BADGERS BRINGING THE DEFENSE: Wisconsin's last two games have been against teams with top-15 scoring offenses but they have done an impressive job at keeping the teams' scoring to a minimum. Two games ago on Feb. 11, Wisconsin held Penn State to just 64 points despite them averaging 85.4 points a game, which ranks sixth in the nation. More recently Wisconsin held Indiana to its third-lowest point total of the season and 13.5 points below its season average of 81.5.
3. OUT-REBOUNDING OPPONENTS: Wisconsin has greatly improved its rebounding as of late and most recently reeled in more rebounds than the Hoosiers, getting 32 to rival their 26. The Badgers have led their opponents in rebounding in five of its last six contests and have averaged 38.8 rebounds per game during that span.
4. HISTORY WITH RUTGERS: Wisconsin and Rutgers played their first game on Jan. 17, 1999, and have met 17 times. Rutgers leads the all-time series 12-5, but Wisconsin has won the last three out of four games. The last matchup between the two teams took place earlier this season on Jan. 27 in the Kohl Center with Wisconsin emerging victorious. The Badgers won, 73-62, and were led in scoring by Serah Williams who dropped 31 points, tying her career-high. The Badgers never once trailed in this contest and held Rutgers to just three first-quarter points, the second-fewest points ever scored against Wisconsin in a single quarter.
5. SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS: The Rutgers Scarlett Knights are 2-12 in the Big Ten, with wins coming against Nebraska and Minnesota. In its most recent game, the Scarlet Knights defeated the Golden Gophers, 81-73, at home with Mya Petticord dropping a career-best 25 points and Destiny Adams delivering a 21-point and 10-rebound double-double. Kaylene Smikle leads Rutgers in scoring, averaging 16.1 points per game. The sophomore, a 2022-23 All-Big Ten Second Team and All-Freshman Team honoree, is followed in scoring by Destiny Adams, who averages 15.2 points and 7.3 rebounds a contest.
