MADISON – Life on the road continues to be rough for the Wisconsin women’s basketball team.

The Badgers dropped to 2-7 in opposing arenas with a 92-60 loss to Illinois on Feb. 11 at State Farm Arena in Champaign, Illinois. The loss marked the Badgers’ fourth Big Ten road loss by at least 25 points.

Freshman center Dorja Zaja finished with 16 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Senior forward Gift Uchenna added 13 points, but nine came in the second half when UW trailed by as many as 41 points.

Wisconsin’s top two scorers, Destiny Howell and Kyrah Daniels, combined for nine points on 3-for-20 shooting overall that included 1-of-9 shooting from 3-point range. Daniels led the Badgers in assists (five) and tied for second in rebounding (six).

Wisconsin coach Robin Pingeton thought her team’s troubles started in practices following its overtime loss to then-No. 25 Washington on Feb. 8

“We had two days of practice that just were flat and not in a way of feeling sorry for ourselves that we didn’t get the win but exhauston.,” Pingeton said on the Badgers postgame radio show. “And so how do you pick yourself up and get yourself ready to go battle again? 

“That’s truly where I thought the game was lost, before we even stepped between the lines. It’s a great group of girls. We love them to death. It’s a special locker room for sure, but, you’ve got to learn to through the fires.”

More: How elite communication skills make Shay Bollin a key piece of Wisconsin’s success

Here are three takeaways from the loss.

Illinois shooters make Wisconsin pay

The Illini feature a strong interior presence led by 6-foot-3 freshman Cearah Parchment. The team also entered play averaging a league-low 16.9 3-pointers per game and ranking 14th in 3-point percentage (33.3%).

The Badgers went with a zone defense early and Illinois sank 4 of 8 3-point attempts in the first quarter. They never cooled off. Illinois’ 64.7% 3-point shooting (11 for 17) tied its season high.

Sophomore guard Aaliyah Guyton, who entered play 32.4% from 3, went 6 for 6 and scored a career-high 22 points.

Freshman Dorja Zaja offers bright spot for Badgers

The presence of so many bigs for Illinois created an opportunity for Zaja to get more minutes and she made the most of them.

Her points as well as her field goals and field goal attempts were season highs. Her 19 minutes equaled the most she has played this season.

It was as aggressive offensively as she’s been.

“She’s got a high IQ,” Pingeton said. “She lets the game come to her versus forcing the action, not rushing.”

UW keeps turnovers low, hits offensive glass but does little with chances

Wisconsin produced some good statistics. It finished with just 11 turnovers, its lowest road total this season. It also grabbed 14 offensive rebounds.

But true to the night, UW couldn’t do anything with the extra possessions. The Badgers had just 11 second-chance points and had a tough time getting space and time for their shots. Statistically, Wisconsin’s 36.9% shooting was Illinois’ best game of defense since the conference opener versus Indiana

There are nights when the magic of the Pacers’ Finals run last summer seems so far in the rearview mirror.

Nights like Wednesday at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, when Indiana gave the night off to nearly all of the players who made that run possible, allowing them to get an extra night to rest injuries on the way into the All-Star break.

But Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan’s second-quarter appearance on the FanDuel Sports Network served as a reminder that Indiana’s front office remains in championship mode, even as the Pacers find themselves in the middle of a lottery fight due to an injury-riddled season.

Buchanan’s appearance underlined the urgency Indiana feels to capitalize on the promise of the past two seasons as Eastern Conference contenders, a status that drove last week’s blockbuster trade for former Clippers center Ivica Zubac.

Indiana sees Zubac as a core piece for a contender

The Pacers gave up a lot to get Zubac: Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson and three draft picks, including the potential to lose their 2026 first-rounder to the Clippers if that pick falls between picks 5-9.

“For us, the starting center position was our biggest hole, and you’re going to have to give up something to fill it,” Buchanan said. “We did give up a lot. Sometimes, in this business, you have to take a risk, and we’re taking a risk adding a new player, but we’re very confident he’s going to be a great fit with us.”

Zubac trade: Are the Pacers better off with Ivica Zubac than Myles Turner?

Indiana lost long-time center Myles Turner to the Bucks in free agency last offseason, leaving the Pacers’ championship core with a significant hole in the middle.

A bruising big man who will alter the center’s role in the Pacers system because of his skill set, Zubac brings positioning, defense and a knack for finishing at the rim.

Most importantly, he fills what Indiana saw as a glaring hole if it wants to be back in the Eastern Conference mix next season.

“We’re excited about Ivica,” Buchanan said. “Losing what we lost with Myles, we felt like that position was something we wanted to address to give this team the best chance to compete at the level we saw them compete at last year.”

Zubac will not make his Pacers debut “for a while” due to a lingering ankle issue.

But Indiana would like to see him on the floor at some point, even though the trade leaves the Pacers with plenty of incentive to stay firmly seated at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

“You’re going to see some chemistry built,” Buchanan said. “Once Big Zu is healthy and back playing, we want to see him get out there with his new teammates in our system.”

Tyrese Haliburton still sets the tone

The biggest reason for Indiana’s swoon this season is that its best player remains on the bench.

Buchanan pointed out Wednesday that the fact Haliburton is on the bench at all is something that should be noted. While taking special care to point out that the Pacers still operate the way they did while pursuing a championship last season, the Indiana general manager credited Haliburton for setting the tone.

“In the NBA, when someone has a season-ending injury, you don’t see them,” Buchanan said. “Tyrese Haliburton’s sitting on the bench every second for us, he’s on every road trip, he’s at every practice. That is what a leader does. His personality, his leadership defines who this team is.”

Pacers feel an urgency to get back to the Finals

The Zubac deal was driven by a desire to maximize the team’s championship window.

While Haliburton is still only 25 years old, Buchanan emphasized that Indiana is aware that the picture in the NBA can change quickly.

“When we looked at our team, when you look back to last year, the run we made, how special this group has shown it can be when you have the full team together. … We owe this group every chance to compete,” Buchanan said. “Because the window, as you know, is not always open for long in the NBA.”