An exciting postseason run came to an end for the Wisconsin Badgers women’s basketball team on Monday afternoon. The Badgers suffered their first loss since the Big Ten tournament, falling to the Columbia Lions 67-50 in the WBIT semifinals. It was a game where the Lions got off to an 8-0 start in Charles Koch Arena in Wichita and never trailed in the entire game.
Columbia Lions end Wisconsin’s postseason in dominant fashion
It does not take a college basketball analyst to realize what went wrong against Columbia. The Badgers failed to generate any offensive fire against the Lions, shooting just 18-of-59 from the field for a 31% clip. In addition, Wisconsin shot an awful 24% from beyond the arc, making only 5-of-21 shots.
Not only did the Badgers have a miserable shooting performance, but they were also trounced on the boards. Columbia finished this game with a resounding 51-32 rebounding margin, including a 21-12 advantage in offensive rebounds.
One of the keys for the Badgers was to contain All-American Riley Weiss on offense. Wisconsin failed that challenge, as Weiss led all Columbia players with 21 points on 7-of-14 shots from the floor, including hitting 3-of-4 three-point shots.
In her final game for the Badgers, Destiny Howell led all Wisconsin players with 12 points on the afternoon, albeit on a mere 2-of-12 shots from the floor.
The Badgers women’s basketball team finished its first season under Robin Pingeton with a 16-18 overall record. While that might not appear impressive on the surface, wins over ranked Michigan State and Nebraska teams at home, plus this WBIT postseason run, gave this program something it desperately needed: momentum.
Before the WBIT semifinal, Howell commented on the positive impact Wisconsin had on her both as a basketball player and on her personal life. It was a tremendous eye-opening message for current women’s basketball transfers and future high school recruits. Speaking of which, Badger fans will get to see the top Wisconsin high school recruit Adaline Sheplee next season.