By Philip Rossman-ReichThe Daily Northwestern
Northwestern kept the game close in the early minutes against Wisconsin like they had against No. 6 Ohio State and No. 12 Purdue. Coach Beth Combs installed a completely new starting five to try and spark a team that had lost 12 consecutive games.
But like those games against the Buckeyes and the Boilermakers, the Wildcats (6-14, 0-7 Big Ten) couldn’t keep up with the Badgers (14-6, 3-4) as Wisconsin defeated them 74-50, sending the Cats to their 13th straight loss.
“I feel like it’s all energy,” said senior forward A.J. Glasauer, who did not start for the first time since her sophomore year. “We have to stay together. We have to play with the exact same energy for 40 minutes. We can’t be down or get down on ourselves. When we have a turnover, when they score a couple points, when they go on a run … we can’t be surprised by that. We just have to match or find whatever we did in the first couple minutes to play with them.”
The Cats jumped out to a 10-4 lead with 16:25 to play in the first. Sophomore forward Kristin Cartwright scored all seven of her points to key the early lead.
But the Badgers tied the game at 10 and took the lead for the rest of the game. NU scored only four points in the next six minutes.
Wisconsin led 38-28 at halftime, converting 17 points off of 10 NU turnovers. The Cats finished with 22 turnovers which turned into 32 points for the Badgers.
“Sometimes we let certain turnovers or them making baskets change our intensity,” Cartwright said. “We need to learn how to keep it up even if things are bad. Learn how to keep it up and keep the momentum going from the first couple minutes.”
The Badgers opened the second half on a 19-4 run, opening a lead too big for the Cats to overcome, leading by as much as 28 at one point.
Combs elected to bench the players that had started the past six games and much of the season. She started a lineup that had a combined two starts this season – both belonging to Cartwright. Even little used senior guard Holly Palin got a start.
“I liked the way our second group came in and started the game,” Combs said. “They came in with a lot of energy (and) a lot of enthusiasm … and in a weird way we took a step forward today.”
Combs said she was encouraged by the run the Cats made late to make the final score closer.
“We had some intensity,” Combs said. “We did lose that when we were down thirty. But, we bounced back. I’m very proud of the way A.J. finished the game. She sat a long time today. That shows that it’s in there. It shows a lot of spunk and a lot of heart on her part. That’s what we need to have for 40 minutes.”
Glasauer was the last usual starter to enter the game, but still led the Cats with 16 points, scoring the final 11 in the game for the Cats. Junior guard Sara Stutz scored six points in her first game off the bench in her career.
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