Team gets sweet revenge in 49-48 road win

MADISON, Wisc. -- Through many lead changes and runs from both teams, the women's basketball team was still able to defeat the Wisconsin Badgers 49-48 on Sunday. IU improved to 11-11 overall and 4-8 in the Big Ten while the Badgers fell to 7-17 overall and 5-8 in the Big Ten. The two teams last met in Bloomington when Wisconsin won the battle 69-58.\nThe Hoosiers went on a 17-1 run to start off the game, with Wisconsin's first field goal going in after six and a half minutes of play. \nWisconsin coach Jane Albright said her team was flat and lacked confidence in the game. \n"A 17-1 run is inexcusable," Albright said. "Indiana had so much confidence and I don't understand why, but we're having trouble defending our home floor."\nBut once Wisconsin started making shots, the tables turned as the Badgers held IU scoreless for almost six minutes. \nSenior guard Kristen Bodine had seven points in the game and said Wisconsin's defense was tough against the Hoosiers because of the difference in size.\n"They're long and they've got long arms, which makes it tough when you try and pass the ball in," Bodine said. "We had to be very sharp and crisp with our passing and shooting."\nWith five minutes left in the first half, it was four field goals and a free throw from freshman guard Cyndi Valentin that helped the Hoosiers keep the lead at halftime 26-21. Valentin did her share for the Hoosiers by scoring 17 points in the first half alone. She ended the game with a career high 23 points.\nWith 8:40 to go in the first half, freshman Brigett Branson fell to the ground with a scream that silenced the crowd in Kohl Center. The deafening silence ended as Branson was escorted off the court. Branson, an Indiana All-Star, sat out the remainder of the game. \nThe second half was a messy one for the Hoosiers. Their first field goal came from junior Jamie Gathing five minutes into the second half. Wisconsin grabbed its first lead in the game 29-28 with 13 minutes to go in the game. It was back and forth between the two teams with fifteen lead changes in the second half.\nIt was down to the wire with just 36 seconds left in the game when IU was up by one point thanks to a three-point basket from Bodine. It put the Hoosiers up by one 49-48. \nIU had another chance to grab the lead after a foul on Wisconsin's Lello Gebisa. Bodine missed the free throw and the ball was in the Badgers' hands with 19.3 seconds remaining. None of their attempts went in and IU called a timeout with six-tenths-of-a-second left in the game. Wisconsin hoped to lob the ball in after the timeout but was unsuccessful. \n"They are smart defenders," junior Badger center Emily Ashbaugh said. "They got in between us and we couldn't get the shot off."\nThe victory in Wisconsin marked Bennett's first win in Madison and the first time IU has won in Madison since Feb. 7, 1997. IU's win came in front of a crowd of 7,170 fans at the Kohl Center. \nBennett said the victory was even sweeter since she had friends and former players from Wisconsin in the stands.\n"I'm just really happy that it happened with this team," Bennett said. "Our last three games we've played really hard and really come together so its fun to do it with this team. It was a great win for us"