Connect with us

Basketball

Wisconsin Badgers WBB: Stifling Defense Leads Badgers to Win Over Rutgers

The Wisconsin Badgers WBB program earned their second straight Big Ten win, defeating Rutgers 73-62.

Published

4 months ago

on

Wisconsin Badgers Women’s Basketball

After a dominant first quarter, the Wisconsin Badgers women’s basketball team cruised to their second straight Big Ten win by beating the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Saturday afternoon at the Kohl Center. UW held Rutgers to three (!!!) first quarter points and Serah Williams tied her career-high in scoring.

Here is the full recap.

Wisconsin Badgers WBB Defeats Rutgers Behind Strong Defensive Effort

Final Score

Wisconsin Badgers (10-9 overall, 3-6 Big Ten): 73

Rutgers Scarlet Knights (6-16 overall, 0-9 Big Ten): 62

Four Factors

eFG%: 45.8
Turnover%: 25.7
Off. Rebound%: 36.1
FTA/FGA: 36.7

Key Stats

FG%: 41.7 (25-of-60)
Opp. FG%: 35.6 (21-of-59)
3P%: 19.2 (5-of-26)
Opp. 3P%: 36.4 (4-of-11)
FT%: 81.8 (18-of-22)
Opp. FT%: 76.2 (16-of-21)
Points Per Possession: 0.986
Opponent Points Per Possession: 0.861
Rebounds: 42 (13 offensive)
Opponent Rebounds: 33 (10 offensive)
Turnovers: 19
Forced Turnovers: 16 


Team Leaders

  • Ronnie Porter: 11 points (4-of-8 FG, 0-of-1 3P), five rebounds (two offensive), nine assists, three steals, +12
  • Serah Williams: 31 points (12-of-14 FG, 2-of-2 3P), 12 rebounds (two offensive), four blocks, +22
  • Halle Douglass: nine points (2-of-6 FG, 1-of-4 3P), five rebounds (two offensive), one assist, one block, one steal, +2
  • Brooke Schramek: five points (2-of-9 FG, 1-of-5 3P), seven rebounds (two offensive), four assists, even

Rutgers Team Leaders

  • Kassondra Brown: 13 points (5-of-8 FG), three rebounds (three offensive), four assists, two steals, +7
  • Mya Petticord: 15 points (5-of-11 FG, 1-of-3 3P), six rebounds, one assist, one steal, -8

Three Thoughts on the Wisconsin Badgers Victory Over Rutgers

1. So I missed the first half of the game due to familial obligations, but I rewatched it after the game ended and buddy…what a wild first quarter that was! The Badgers dominated on defense and held Rutgers to three (!!!) points which is just mind-blowing. Somehow, this isn’t the fewest points Wisconsin has allowed in a quarter. Per UW, the Badgers held ::double checks notes: hahahahahahaha, oh man. Per UW, the Badgers held Rutgers to two points in a quarter back on Feb. 18, 2017. 


Wisconsin blocked four shots and got three steals in the first 10 minutes while forcing seven RU turnovers. The Scarlet Knights shot 1-of-15 from the floor, 0-of-2 from three, and made one of their two free throws in the period, with Mya Petticord recording their only field goal and Lisa Thompson making the free throw.

I have been skeptical of the Badgers’ defense throughout the season, but they just keep putting up impressive performances like this and, well, that’s great! They still aren’t some sort of shutdown unit (228th nationally in Her Hoops Stats defensive rating), but they are much improved from the last two years (336th and 342nd) and that is promising.

2. Serah Williams is a double-double machine, recording her ninth of the season and sixth consecutively on Saturday. In only 29 minutes, Williams poured in 31 points and hauled down 12 boards to completely dominate the paint all day. She shot an extremely efficient 12-of-14 from the field and MADE BOTH OF HER THREE POINT ATTEMPTS! It’s all happening for her and, quite frankly, you love to see it.


This isn’t even mentioning the fact that she had four blocks and was a game-high +22. She’s excelling on both ends of the court and, at this rate, is going to make All-B1G team decisions at the end of the season very difficult.

3. D’Yanis Jimenez (listed as questionable pregame) was back in the rotation after missing the game against Minnesota earlier in the week. She chipped in 10 points in 16 minutes and appeared to be 100%. On the flipside of things, both Tessas (Grady and Towers) were listed as “out” on the pregame availability report. There is no other designation on these reports, so unless Marisa Moseley offers something up in her weekly press conference we won’t know what’s ailing either of them. 


Final Thought

This season has been interesting, to say the least, but the strides the Badgers have made from last year to this year are noticeable and as much as some may want to discount it…that’s due in large part to coaching. Wisconsin is playing better defense as a unit, they are sharing the ball on offense (30th best assisted shot rate in the nation), Serah Williams has developed into an All-Big Ten talent, Ronnie Porter has made a huge leap as a sophomore, and freshmen Tessa Grady, Ana Guillen, Leena Patibandla, and D’Yanis Jimenez have all stepped in and contributed right away as freshmen, and the team is just plain fun to watch compete.

I have also been impressed with veterans Halle Douglass, Natalie Leuzinger, and Brooke Schramek. None of them were recruited by Moseley but they’ve stuck around and helped shepherd this young team. All of their contributions might not be realized this season, but if the team makes the NCAA Tournament in two years it will be in no small part to what this trio has given the team this year. 


UW is entering the stretch run with a little momentum and they’ll need all of that in more if they’re going to score an upset at Ohio State next week. I am not going to count on a win, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the Badgers put a scare into the Buckeyes on Thursday.

Next Game: Thursday, Feb. 1; at No. 12 Ohio State Buckeyes; 5:00 p.m. CT; BTN; Schottenstein Center; Columbus, Ohi0

Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read our work at BadgerNotes.com. For more Wisconsin Badgers Basketball and Big Ten content, follow us on Twitter & Facebook. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also follow Drew Hamm on Twitter @DrewHamm5.

Also, be sure to check out our shop, subscribe to our newsletter, and the BadgerNotes After Dark podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. Because of your support, we have become one of the fastest-growing independent media outlets focused on giving a voice to the fans!

Related Topics:

Drew Hamm is a seasoned sports journalist with an extensive background in covering the Wisconsin Badgers. He has previously held positions as the site manager at Bucky's 5th Quarter and founder of Badgers Ball Knower. Currently, he contributes as a staff writer for BadgerNotes.com.

Trending