Preview: Women's Basketball Heads North to Meet Wisconsin

WHAT'S HAPPENING Chicago State faces its final game in the Midwest before a Thanksgiving trip to Miami for the Florida International University Thanksgiving Tournament, which starts on Friday, November 26. The Cougars look to pull off a road win against the Wisconsin Badgers in the programs' eighth meeting.

ALL-TIME Chicago State and Wisconsin have faced each other seven times, Wisconsin winning all seven. The Cougars and Badgers most recently played on December 12, 2018 in Madison, an 85-38 Badgers win. All meetings have been in Madison, except for the first one, which took place in Des Moines, Iowa on November 29, 1980.

LAST TIME OUT The Cougars forced a season-high 15 steals but fell to Loyola Chicago in a game that featured a CSU lead after a quarter. Powered by Ana Haklicka, who scored a season-high 13 points, the Cougars led, 16-14, but saw that lead fizzle late in a 71-59  loss. Freshman Aaliyah Collins scored 12 and forced four steals, but Loyola Chicago shot 62% from the field in the Ramblers' second win.

SIZING UP THE BADGERS Wisconsin is 1-2 in its first season under the direction of head coach Marisa Moseley, who comes to Madison after thriving as head coach at her alma mater, Boston University. Mosely was the 2019 Patriot League Coach of the Year in Boston. Before that, she spent nine seasons under Geno Auriemma, winning five national titles at UConn. The Badgers went 5-19 in 2020-21 and are aiming for their first winning season since 2010-11, when they finished third in the Big Ten. The Badgers return nine letterwinners and three starters from last year's squad, including top scorer Sydney Hilliard.

SQUAD UP Only three players from last season's roster return for Sardin's bunch: Christina Britter, Ana Haklicka and Laura Segues. Sardin has added two assistant coaches, Tiffany Conner and Diana Martinez, two freshman, Taylor Norris and Aaliyah Collins, and six transfers: Quentarra Mitchell, Nafa Haidara, Kyjai Miles, Janiah Newell, Jazmine Covington and Allysah "Cookie" Boothe.

About Chicago State

Chicago State University Athletics is comprised of 15 intercollegiate teams involving over 150 student-athletes that compete in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and volleyball. CSU held memberships in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and NCAA Division II before transitioning to NCAA Division I in 1994. Melvin Bland was the first CSU student-athlete to gain NAIA All-American status in 1974 as a wrestler. Fred Evans became the first black swimmer ever to win a national championship in 1975. CSU's women's basketball team earned a spot in the 2011 Women's Basketball Invitational and CSU's men's basketball team won the 2013 Great West Conference Tournament title and made an appearance in the CollegeInside.com Postseason Tournament (CIT).  The Men's Outdoor Track & Field 4x100-Meter Relay team were 2019 Honorable Mention All-Americans and WAC Champions. Their feat marked the first time the Chicago State's men's track & field program was represented at the national meet. 

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