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Badger women win fourth straight

MADISON — The University of Wisconsin women’s basketball team is on a roll.

The Badgers won their fourth straight Sunday, a 63-51 Big Ten Conference victory over Illinois in front of a season-high 8,097 at the Kohl Center.

Led by a career-high 23 points from junior forward Tara Steinbauer, the Badgers tied their longest winning streak of the season and longest in conference play since winning five in a row from Feb. 14-28, 2008.

The Badgers improved to 15-4 overall and 5-3 in the Big Ten. It is Wisconsin’s best start to a season under coach Lisa Stone. Illinois fells to 11-6 overall and 3-4 in the conference.

Wisconsin led by as many as 11 points in the first half but saw its lead cut to 32-30 with 16:44 left in the game. The Badgers then went on a 13-4 run, with Steinbauer and Alyssa Karel scoring all 13 points.

Karel, UW’s leading scorer, started the run with her first points of the game, a pull-up jumper from the foul line. Steinbauer followed with a lay-up and free throw off a nifty wraparound pass from point guard Rae Lin D’Alie.

Karel then made another jumper, Steinbauer scored on a lay-up and added two free throws before Karel ended the run with another jumper to put the Badgers up 45-34.

Steinbauer, who made seven of 10 field-goal attempts and eight of nine free throws, also added a team-high seven rebounds. Freshman Taylor Wurtz again provided a spark off the bench, making all four of her field-goal attemptss and finishing with 11 points.

Wisconsin, which went into the game ranked ninth in the country in scoring defense, held its opponent to less than 54 points for the fifth straight game. The Badgers also had only nine turnovers, compared to 16 for Illinois.

The Badgers return to action Thursday when they host Penn State at the Kohl Center at 7 p.m.

WISCONSIN 63, ILLINOIS 51

Illinois (51)—Penn 5-10 2-2 13, Simpson 3-9 0-1 7, Smith 1-8 6-6 8, Toone 4-9 0-1 8, McCully 1-7 0-0 2, Mitchell 0-1 0-0 0, Godbold 3-7 3-3 9, Rukavina 1-2 1-2 3. Totals: 18-53 12-15 51.

Illinois (63)—Steinbauer 7-10 8-9 23, Zastrow 0-6 2-2 2, D’Alie 2-6 3-6 8, Gant 2-7 4-6 8, Karel 4-8 1-3 9, Davis 0-1 0-0 0, Wurtz 4-4 1-2 11, Thomas 1-1 0-2 2. Totals: 20-43 19-30 63.

Illinois 23 28—51

Wisconsin 27 36—63

Three-point goals—Illinois 3-7 (Penn 1-1, Simpson 1-2, Smith 0-1, McCully 1-2, Godbold 0-1), Wisconsin 4-6 (Steinbauer 1-1, D’Alie 1-2, Davis 0-1, Wutz 2-2). Rebounds—Illinois 37 (Simpson 7), Wisconsin 29 (Steinbauer 7). Assists—Illinois 7 (Penn 2), Wisconsin 10 (D’Alie 3). Total fouls—Illinois 22, Wisconsin 18. Fouled out—Zastrow.

Attendance—8,097.