Badgers face Hoosiers on the bubble in key Big Ten match

Entering the critical back stretch of its season, the IU women’s basketball team will travel to Wisconsin today looking to sweep the Badgers for the first time since 2003. The Hoosiers (15-11, 8-6) currently reside at the edge of the bubble for the NCAA Tournament, and wins in all four remaining games would be a big step toward getting into the field. \nThe Badgers (13-11, 6-8) are the first obstacle standing in IU’s way. They are 3-1 in their last four games; their only loss came at home by three points to conference front-runner Ohio State. The Hoosiers soundly dispatched the Badgers at home last month, winning 86-62. \nThe Hoosiers are currently fighting a three-game road losing streak after winning three of their first four Big Ten road games. However, IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack said she is not thinking about the losing streak. She said she’s focused on the team’s recent success, specifically a 74-65 win over Michigan. \n“I don’t think about what we’ve done bad, I think about what we can do better next,” Legette-Jack said Monday afternoon. \nSenior guard Nikki Smith said she doesn’t expect too many surprises from Wisconsin. She said experience has taught her that this late in the season, teams “know everything” about each other.\n“It just comes down to going out there and playing hard and doing what you know you can do,” Smith said. \nThe key to the Wisconsin scoring attack is guard Jolene Anderson, a player Smith called “an amazing scorer.” The last time IU met Wisconsin, the Badgers’ senior guard showcased her ability – for a half. \nThe Hoosiers stifled Anderson’s propensity for filling the stat sheet in the first half, allowing her no points. Anderson turned the tables in the second half, scoring 23 points, although the game was out of reach by that point. \nLegette-Jack harbored no illusions of shutting out Anderson again. Rather, she said her team needs to “pay attention to detail” defensively to keep her from hitting her stride. \n“To shut her down for a half is a miracle,” Legette-Jack said. “We don’t think that we can possibly do that again. But if we can maintain her and close out everybody else, I think we have a chance to be successful.”\nThe Hoosiers’ offense will be led by Marshfield, Wis., native Jamie Braun, who is fifth in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 15.4 points per game. Braun has scored in double digits in her last 12 games, including four 20-plus point performances in that time.\nThe 2007-08 season has been something of a disappointment for Wisconsin. While coaches and media picked the team to finish second and third respectively in the Big Ten, a 3-7 start to conference play knocked the Badgers out of title contention early. \nThe Hoosiers, by contrast, were picked as a unanimous ninth, likely based on the team’s significant youth. However, IU has turned the tables on those predictions, and currently stands alone in fifth place in the Big Ten. \nIf the season ended today, that position would win them a coveted first-round bye in the Big Ten tournament. However, Smith said she knows the importance of keeping her team focused late in the season, not worrying about anything beyond their next game and making the most of every opportunity.\n“It’s not over, and we have a long part of the season left,” Smith said. “It’s just one of those fun times of the year for basketball.”