College Basketball

Bauman scores career-high 21 points in win at Kohl Center

MADISON, Wis. — For the second-straight season, the Wisconsin women’s basketball team opened up Big Ten Conference action with a win. The Badgers cruised to a 63-53 win over Michigan on Sunday at the Kohl Center.

“It feels good to get any win under our belt, but a Big Ten win is what we are obviously in right now,” head coach Bobbie Kelsey said. “We are in the Big Ten season so we need to make sure we take care of business, especially at home.”

Nicole Bauman scored a career-high 21 points, including four 3-pointers to lead Wisconsin (5-6, 1-0) in the win. Junior Tessa Cichy tied her career-best scoring with 14 points and dished out a career-high five assists.

“Tessa is a fearless player, whether it be on the defensive or offensive end,” Kelsey said. “She does a great job for us. She’s a scorer and when she’s feeling it, it goes in.”

The Badgers shot 42.9 percent, making 21-of-49 and converting 8-of-14 (57.1 percent) from beyond the arc. The Wolverines (8-4, 0-1) shot a season-low 33.9 percent (21-of-62) and hit just 4-of-11 (36.4 percent) from 3-point range.

“Michigan is a great team (but) they didn’t have the best shooting night,” Kelsey said. “We tried to take them out of what they wanted to do.”

A jumper from Cichy 15 seconds into the game kicked off a 9-0 run for UW. The Wolverines first points came with 15:35 minutes to play in the first half off two made free throws by Shannon Smith. U-M followed with a 7-0 run to pull within two points, 9-7, at the 14:26 mark before UW used another 9-0 run to go up 18-7 with 10:34 remaining.

The Wolverines cut UW’s lead to five points (26-21) with 1:54 to play in the first, but a big block from Rochel and two free throws from Bauman put Wisconsin up 28-21 at the half.

Back-to-back Michigan jumpers opened up the second half and pulled the Wolverines within three points (28-25) with 17:59 remaining. But Bauman countered with two 3-pointers to push Wisconsin’s lead to nine points (34-25) with 16 minutes to go.

Michigan used a 10-3 run to make it a two-point contest (37-35) with 10:44 remaining, but UW responded with a 9-2 run behind back-to-back 3-pointers from Cichy and Gulczyski to lead 45-37 at the 8:20 mark.

Another 3-pointer from Bauman and two free throws by Malayna Johnson stretched UW’s lead to 11 points (50-39) with 6:11 to play. A three from Michigan’s Siera Thompson pulled U-M within eight, 50-42, with 5:58 to play and a layin by Cyesha Goree with 5:02 remaining cut the lead to seven (51-44).

Another jumper by Cichy followed by two makes from the line put the Badgers up 55-44 with 2:41 left to play. The Wolverines cut it to eight (61-53) on another 3 pointer from Thompson with 16 seconds left but it was too little, too late.

Free throws made a difference as UW got to the line 15 times, making 13 for 86.7 percent, while Michigan went to the line 11 times, making seven for 63.6 percent.

Wisconsin grabbed 36 rebounds, including 26 defensive rebounds, while Michigan pulled in 33 boards. Michigan edged out UW in the paint 30-22 and forced 19 UW turnovers while committing only 11.

Cassie Rochel tallied eight rebounds and two blocks, both team highs. Cichy and AnnMarie Brown both notched five rebounds.

“We had a lot of people step up and do a lot for us,” Kelsey said. “Nicole is a scorer for us, everybody has a different role. I thought Ann Marie Brown came in for us and gave us some great minutes. Her defense was stellar helping on Cyesha Goree, who is a great post player.”

Three Wolverines finished the game in double figures, led by Smith’s 14 points. Goree recorded a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds, while Katelynn Flaherty added 12 points and three assists.

Wisconsin opens 2015 with a game at Northwestern in Evanston, Illinois, on Thursday. Tip time is 1 p.m. from the Welsh-Ryan Arena.