The Wisconsin Badgers have recorded the first significant win of the Robin Pingeton era against a ranked Michigan State Spartans to open Big Ten play.
During a difficult challenge, Wisconsin took on a strong #20 Michigan State team that has historically dominated the Badgers. Wisconsin was 5-21 against Michigan State with three-straight 20-point losses prior to the Sunday night clash. The Spartans were a perfect 8-0 heading into the game with notable wins over Clemson and Temple.
The Badgers fought hard and pulled off a significant win over the Spartans which proves that Wisconsin is not the same team from a season ago.
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Wisconsin is currently 7-3 this season and a perfect 6-0 at home after taking on the visiting Michigan State Spartans earlier in the week. The Spartans entered the game ranked but could find themselves on the outside when the next rankings are released.
Defeating the Spartans was a serious team effort as four of the five Badgers’ starters had double-digit points. Both Ronnie Porter and Gift Uchenna recorded double-doubles for the team which helped power Wisconsin towards the 78-64 win. Porter flirted with potential triple-double territory after notching eight assists in the win as well. Uchenna nearly did the same with seven blocks which tied her career-high.
What should the Badgers expect out of the San Diego Toreros?
San Diego is currently 4-6 this season and largely considered to be one of the worst WCC teams. The Toreros have lost 46 games in the last two years as the team is likely looking at a third-straight season without reaching the postseason.
The Toreros are averaging 56.9 points per game this season while shooting 34.2% from the field and 26.9% from three-point range. Freshman guard Olivia Owens has started nine games this season and serves as the primary ball-handler for the team. Owens leads the team with 124 field goal attempts, but the guard is shooting just 27.4% from the floor. The guard gave a glimpse of her true potential during the 70-66 win over Utah State with a 25-point performance.
Offensive efficiency and maintaining intelligent shot selections have not been the strong suit of San Diego this season. However, the Toreros are an above average team on the boards and one that teams often need to watch out for on defense.
San Diego averages 9.6 steals and 3.7 blocks per game while recording 43 steals in four wins this season. The power behind the Toreros’ defense has been freshman center Ayla Williams who only recently became a bigger part of the lineup. Williams is averaging 7.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game with a double-double in each of her last two games.
For the Badgers’ defense, stopping Owens and the offense of the Toreros will involve maintaining a stout interior. Owens is a pure shooter who has taken double-digit attempts from the field in the last seven games in a row. The best performances for Owens occurred when the guard was able to reach the foul line. San Diego is significantly weaker on offense this season when Owens is not able to get involved.
On offense, the Badgers could certainly put together a strong performance due to the size advantage the team has at key positions. Uchenna is coming off of a great performance and will be going up against Williams, who is three inches shorter and far less experienced. Additionally, the Toreros do not have guards that can match the size of Wisconsin scoring options Destiny Howell and Kyrah Daniels, who both stand in at 6-foot tall.
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