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INDIANAPOLIS -- Freshmen Jolene Anderson and Janese Banks led the way for the Wisconsin Badgers in a thrilling 75-74 double overtime victory over Indiana in the first game of the 2005 Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament. For the third time in as many years, the Indiana Hoosiers (10-18, 3-13) and Wisconsin Badgers (12-15, 5-11) met in the tournament's opening game. Unlike in the previous two, Wisconsin was able to get the win and advance into the second round. Anderson and Banks combined for 43 of the team's points in the victory, only the second double OT game in the tournament's history.
The opening minutes of the first half saw Indiana's Cyndi Valentin control the Hoosiers' offensive end. With five points in the first 1:15 of the game, the junior paced Indiana to a 9-2 lead in the first 4:30 of the contest.
After trailing 20-9 with 8:30 left in the first half, Indianapolis-native Banks, the game's high scorer with 23 points on 8-14 shooting, and teammate, Big Ten Freshman of the Year Anderson, led the Badgers back to trail by only four at half.
The second half was close, neither team reaching more than a six-point lead. With 10.6 seconds left in regulation, Wisconsin's Ashley Josephson moved into the lane for a last-second shot, but the ball hit off the front of the rim and the second half ended tied at 56.
Complementing Valentin in the second half was Angela Hawkins. She finished with 15 points and 16 rebounds, keeping the game close, despite an insurgence, by the Badgers.
Like the first two halves, the first overtime remained tight. With just under 16 seconds remaining in the first OT, Josephson took a handoff from Anderson and drove towards the basket. She was fouled going up and received two free throws for her efforts. Josephson connected on both, giving the Badgers a 66-63 lead.
With time ticking away, Valentin caught a pass four feet behind the three-point line with 1.8 seconds and hit a long-range basket to again tie the contest, this time at 66-66, sending the game to a second overtime.
Anderson finished the game with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists.
Indicative of the preceding periods, neither team was able to extended a lead beyond a single possession. Badger Annie Nelson collected a key offensive-rebound with 27 seconds on the clock. On the possession following that board, with 12.5 seconds, Valentin, IU's season and game-leading scorer committed her fifth foul of the game. Valentin checked out with 16 points. Wisconsin's Jordan Wilson went to the line and hit both free throws to give the Badgers a 75-74 lead. Wilson finished the game with one of the team's two double-doubles. In addition to her 13 points, she totaled 11 rebounds as well. Despite two looks at the basket, IU was unable to retake the lead, and Wisconsin will move onto the tournament's quarterfinals to face top-seeded Ohio State on Friday.
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