Patberg leads No. 6 Indiana to 76-53 rout of Wisconsin

MADISON, Wisc. (AP) — Indiana coach Teri Moren made sure there was no letdown after a statement victory.

Ali Patberg scored 18 points and Mackenzie Holmes added 16 and No. 6 Indiana beat Wisconsin 76-53 on Wednesday.

The victory came four days after the Hoosiers’ 70-63 overtime win over then-No. 6 Maryland.

“Being fatigued and tired is not a problem for this basketball team,” Moren said Indiana. “We had business to take care of at Wisconsin.

“I’m wise enough to understand how to manage the couple days after Maryland knowing that it was a quick turnaround.”

Patberg scored 12 points in the first half when Indiana used a 19-9 second quarter to take a 36-21 lead. Grace Berger had 11 assists and scored seven points in the victory.

Aleska Gulbe scored 13 points and had eight rebounds for the Hoosiers, who’ve won eight straight in the series against Wisconsin.

Indiana (12-2, 4-0 Big Ten) held Wisconsin to under 70 points, and the Badgers became the 14th opponent the Hoosiers have held below that mark.

Indiana had 18 assists on 28 field goals in the game. The Hoosiers shot 48.8 percent from the field. The Hoosiers shot 85.7 percent (12 of 14) from the free-throw line.

Holmes and Grace Berger had eight rebounds apiece for Indiana.

Wisconsin coach Marisa Moseley said she is impressed with Indiana’s depth on offense.

“They pretty much have a weapon at every spot in their starting five,” Moseley said of the Hoosiers. “If you have that, you have to pick your poison in guarding them. They feel really well oiled in that way.”

Julie Pospisilova scored 15 points and Sydney Hilliard scored 10 points for Wisconsin (3-10, 0-3), which was playing for the first time in 20 days after two Big Ten games were canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the Badgers program.

Wisconsin’s Brooke Schramek scored six points as the Badgers held a 10-5 to start the game. Schramek finished with seven points.

The Hoosiers have strung together seven straight wins and haven’t lost since a 66-58 setback to N.C. State on Dec. 2.

Wisconsin is still searching for its first Big Ten win with Moseley, who was a head coach at Boston University. Moseley also is a former UConn assistant under the Huskies’ coach Geno Auriemma.

She said the COVID pause was tough, but she was happy with the Badgers’ performance.

“I was really proud of them to push through,” Moseley said. “They were gassed at different points tonight and I used more of my timeouts than I would have to give them a break, if we needed it.”

The Badgers hadn’t played since a 70-60 home win against Illinois State Dec. 16.

BIG PICTURE

Indiana: The Hoosiers distribute the ball and utilize a balanced scoring attack, with four starters posting double-figure scoring.

Wisconsin: The Badgers are adapting to the coaching style of Moseley. They struggle with ball handling, and finding consistent shots on offense.

UP NEXT

Indiana: The Hoosiers host Nebraska on Jan. 13

Wisconsin: The Badgers play at Illinois on Sunday.

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More AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

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