Hoosiers seek payback win against Wisconsin

When IU lost at Wisconsin earlier in the season, freshman guard Alexis Gassion  said it was a game the Hoosiers let slip away.

Despite this, senior center Simone Deloach said she has seen the team learn from the defeat and from the following games. 

“I think we’ve grown significantly since that game,” Deloach said.

Following their first Big Ten road win since February 2011, the Hoosiers (16-6, 3-6) will face the Badgers (10-12, 3-7) for the second time in the regular season at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Wisconsin arrives in Bloomington after losing by one point in overtime to No. 21 Nebraska Wednesday. The loss dropped the Badgers to 1-5 since defeating the Hoosiers 65-60 in Madison, Wis., on Jan. 15. 

Despite that loss, IU Coach Curt Miller said Wisconsin has played three good games consecutively.

“I think we’re catching Wisconsin at a time when they’re playing their best basketball, so we’ve got our work cut out for us,” Miller said. “But I think our kids are hungry to give it another try because we had an opportunity and just didn’t finish.”

The Hoosiers will try to contain Wisconsin junior forward Jacki Gulczynski, who finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds in the first matchup. She also recorded a career-high six blocks in the Badgers’ win.

Despite scoring only five points, she still managed to grab 10 rebounds in the loss to Nebraska. She has also had at least one block in 18 games.

“Gulczynski’s the best shot-blocking forward in the league,” Miller said. “Their shot-blocking ability at the post position makes you have to make tough shots in the paint.”

Miller also said Wisconsin is very dedicated to offensive rebounding.

Late in the game, the Hoosiers had a one-point lead and Wisconsin missed a foul shot.

The Hoosiers got the rebound still up by one possession. Wisconsin got the ball back, got an offensive rebound on the following possession and scored.

“We should’ve gotten the ball back with a one-point lead late,” Miller said. “All of a sudden that possession turned into a three-point possession because of a huge offensive rebound that changed the last two minutes.”

Saturday’s game comes three weeks since both teams played each other.

The first matchup kicked off a grueling schedule of three games in five days.
The Hoosiers lost all three, and went 2-4 overall in the games between the first game and Saturday’s game.

IU Coach Curt Miller said his team stepped back up in the midst of that stretch, especially after the Jan. 30 game against Northwestern.

“I think the big thing was, we hit rock bottom against Northwestern and we lost on areas that we can control,” Miller said.

“We can control foul shooting, and sometimes there is so much you can’t control. But when you lose a game on things you can control, it really
magnifies it.”

Miller said after the loss, his team was prepared and hungry.

“We got some things off our chests as players and coaches and put that game behind us,” he said. “I’m proud that this team hit rock bottom and fought their way back.”

Deloach said the loss was tough, but it drove IU to get back in the gym and work harder.

“We were definitely angry, but angry at the fact that we could have had it,” she said. “We knew that we had a chance to see them again, so we knew that the next opportunity would be a special one.”

Follow reporter Stuart Jackson on Twitter @Stuart_Jackson1