MARQUETTE GOES LOW TO TOP UW

Madison Capital Times

Dec 9, 1999

Authors: Todd Finkelmeyer The Capital Times

With the likes of Nina Smith and Jessie Stomski patrolling the low post,

it could be argued that the Wisconsin women's basketball team has one of

the better frontcourts in the nation.

The Badgers as a whole, however, seem unable - or are unwilling - to take

advantage of their size, strength and scoring ability down low.

The result Wednesday night was a 69-65 nonconference loss at the Milwaukee

Arena to rival Marquette, which did everything in its power to force the

ball down low to its dynamic duo of Lisa Oldenburg and Abbie Willenborg.

The two 6-foot-2 senior post players attempted a combined 26 shots from

the field and 20 free throws en route to 44 points.

Smith, a heralded 6-4 freshman, and Stomski, the 1999 Big Ten freshman

of the year, combined to take just 13 shots and 6 free throws, scoring

a combined 19 points.

"I think the main difference between that team and our team - and I just

told our team this inside (the locker room) - they're very disciplined

to get the ball inside to their post people, and we're not," said UW coach

Jane Albright. "We do not do that very efficiently."

It was the sixth straight victory for the Golden Eagles (7-1). Wisconsin

(4-3) has lost two straight to Marquette for the first time.

"I'm not at all embarrassed to lose to this team, and I want to make that

very clear," Albright said of the Golden Eagles, who returned all their

starters from last year's NCAA Tournament team. "This is not, in my mind,

a game where the world has ended. It was a team that will help us get ready

for the Big Ten.

"I just want to make sure that you understand that this wasn't that we

were horrible, this isn't, `We're going to go back and kill them tomorrow,

we've embarrassed ourselves.' We haven't embarrassed anyone. They're an

excellent team, and I wish we could have won. But tonight, they were better."

Smith, who had a glare in her eyes and a scowl on her face during the postgame

press conference, was unstoppable once she got the ball down low. But she

took only four shots, hitting all four. When she was asked if the Golden

Eagles were doing anything special to keep the ball out of her hands, she

shook her head and said, "I didn't think so."

While Smith certainly deserved more touches, it would be unfair to say

the Badgers simply refused to throw the ball into open teammates on the

blocks. Instead, Marquette had good game plan and worked it to perfection.

"We said we are going to play off the guards and we are going to pack it

inside and, any time we can, just fill in the paint," said Marquette coach

Terri Mitchell, who has led the Golden Eagles to three straight NCAA Tournament

appearances. "Our battle was to clog up the inside and say for you to beat

us, beat us from the outside."

Marquette did just that, switching between a zone and a man-to- man defense.

Even when Smith and Stomski did get their hands on the ball, they were

usually pushed too far from the basket to be effective.

"Some of the times that I got the ball I was in awkward positions and places

where I wasn't really in a position to score," said Stomski. "On my part,

I have to learn to get better position."

The UW guards, meanwhile, have to learn how to get the low post players

the ball where they need it.

"I think we really weren't looking to get the ball inside," said UW sophomore

guard Tamara Moore. "And everybody was doing their own thing at points

during the game."

Not that Moore should have to apologize for her effort. She was the only

Badger to take advantage of what the Golden Eagle defense was giving the

UW. Moore scored a season-high 24 points as she almost single-handedly

kept the Badgers close. With the MU defense concerned with Stomski and

Smith, Moore scored on a variety of slashes to the bucket and long-range

jumpers. She hit 3 of 5 3-pointers.

The game was close throughout as neither team was able to get into an offensive

rhythm. Marquette shot just 38.7 percent from the field, but was able to

squeeze off six more field-goal attempts and 12 more free throws than Wisconsin

thanks to a 39-31 rebounding edge and seven fewer turnovers than the Badgers

(23).

Trailing, 29-20, late in the first half, UW used a 9-1 run to pull within

30-29 at intermission.

Wisconsin led, 46-45, following a driving basket by Missy Konieczny with

12:35 to play. But the Badgers, who have struggled with turnovers all season,

then turned the ball over on six straight possessions. That allowed Marquette

to go on a 10-0 run and take a 55- 46 lead with just over 9 minutes to

play.

But Moore had a three-point play and added a 3-pointer to key a 12- 5 UW

run to pull the Badgers within 60-58 with 6:43 remaining. Yet the Badgers

could never tie it or regain the lead as Marquette pounded the ball inside

to Oldenburg or Willenborg whenever it needed a big basket.

"For four years straight now, we've been getting the ball inside," said

Mitchell, whose team was 0 for 15 from 3-point range. "So it wasn't anything

special, except that our guards understand how important it is."

Wisconsin still had two chances to send the game into overtime, but failed.

Trailing, 67-65, with 25 seconds left, LaTonya Sims forced up a 12-footer

that was short. Then, trailing, 68-65, Moore's 3-pointer from the top of

the key with 9 seconds left hit the front of the rim and the backboard

before skipping out.

UW starting shooting guard Kelley Paulus was limited to just two points

in 15 minutes. Albright said Paulus, who was hunched over at the end of

the UW bench for the last quarter of the game, was sick.

WISCONSIN min fg fga ft fta reb pf a pt Sims 33 4 18 5 6 3 4 2 13 Stomski

32 4 9 3 6 6 4 0 11 N. Smith 29 4 4 0 0 11 3 1 8 Paulus 15 1 6 0 0 1 2

0 2 Pate 22 1 2 0 0 0 0 7 2 C. Smith 16 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 Moore 27 9 13 3

3 2 2 2 24 Black 7 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Bird 8 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Konieczny 11

1 1 0 0 0 2 0 2 Totals 200 25 56 11 15 31 22 12 65

MARQUETTE min fg fga ft fta reb pf a pt NOldenburg 37 8 14 9 12 15 4 2

25 Bowman 34 5 15 2 3 7 2 4 12 Willenborg 29 6 12 7 8 2 3 0 19 Johnson

34 2 9 2 2 2 1 6 6 Oliver 31 1 8 1 2 3 3 2 3 Gales 4 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 Williams

9 0 1 0 0 2 0 2 0 Seffern 7 0 3 0 0 1 2 0 4 Totals 200 24 62 21 27 39 16

16 69

Rebounding totals include team rebounds Wisconsin 2936 - 65 Marquette 3039

- 69

3-point goals - Wisconsin 4-11 (Moore 3-5, C. Smith 1-1, Sims 0- 2, Pate

0-1), Marquette 0-15 (Oldenburg 0-2, Bowman 0-4, Willenborg 0- 2, Johnson

0-3, Oliver 0-3, Seffrern 0-1). Field-goal percentages - Wisconsin .446,

Marquette .387. Free-throw percentages - Wisconsin .733, Marquette .778.

Turnovers - Wisconsin 23, Marquette 16. Att. - 2,508.