MADISON – Eight was enough for the Wisconsin women’s basketball team Oct. 28.

The Badgers scored a 101-69 victory over Wisconsin-Eau Claire in their only exhibition of the preseason with just eight players due to injuries and Illness.

All eight Badgers played at least 20 minutes. Six scored in double figures and six had at least two assists.

Freshman Adaline Sheplee scored 25 points on 8-for-10 shooting. Iowa transfer Teagan Mallegni added 17 points, hitting six of eight shots overall and five of seven from 3-point range.

The Badgers played without six players: freshman Giselle Janowski, sophomores Dorja Zaja and Alba Martin Mesa, senior Kyrah Daniels and fifth-years Kadidia Toure and Shay Bollin.

Janowski, Zaja, Martin Mesa, Daniels and Toure sat out a practice Oct. 26 that was open to the media. After the exhibition, Badgers coach Robin Pingeton didn’t name names but noted that an illness recently hit the team.

“We didn't realize going into the day that we were only going to have eight but just had a little sickness that popped up last night,” Pingeton said. “So different rotations, people playing different positions, but I thought they really did a good job of embracing that part of it for sure."

Here are three takeaways from the contests.

Plenty of teaching points for the defense

Wisconsin played aggressive on the ball defense, which resulted in many of its 15 steals. The players also hit the floor and hustled for loose balls.

Overall, however, the execution defensively wasn’t up to Pingeton's expectations. Eau Claire, which is learning the system of a new coach, was shooting 53% (23 of 43) through three quarters though it trailed, 78-61.

The Blugolds cut and passed their way to 15 layups and 23 layup attempts. They scored 34 points in the paint.

“I think part of the problem is we just thought we could be so aggressive and physical and blow things up,” Pingeton said. “(Eau Claire) did a really good job playing with pace and really nailing their screens and we'd get caught and we'd trail and then we didn't give each other notifications, we didn't switch when we needed to.”

Credit UW for a much better fourth quarter. Pingeton challenged the team to hold Eau Claire to no more than 10 points and delivered. The Blugolds scored eight points, just two in the paint, and shot 21.4% (3 for 14).

Adaline Sheplee does damage in the paint

The pathway to a 25-point night for Sheplee ran through the paint. The 6-foot-3 guard hit two 3s but used her ball-handling and size to get in paint and get high-percentage looks. Five of her buckets came from about 5 feet.

Due to the team’s injuries and Illiness, Sheplee also played some center, a role she had not played much in practice.

 “I knew that there was an opportunity for me to get minutes with having eight players and so I came in with the mentality that I want to prove myself and utilize my versatility against this team,” Sheplee said. “I'm happy with certain areas, and there's a lot of other areas I know I need to work on. But overall happy with how this first game went and excited to keep getting better and get more work in.”

Teagan Mallegni gets plenty of chances from 3-point range

It was only an exhibition but if the Badgers are able to push the pace as they did Oct. 28, Mallegni will get plenty of chances to get off 3s.

Were this a regular season game, Mallegni would have established a career-high for 3s made and tied her career high for 3s attempted.

“I think a big part of it is the confidence that my teammates and my coaches pour into me every day,” she said. “It feels so good to have these people behind me, and I think that's what it is. I know I can shoot, but these people are the best support for that.”