When Tara Steinbauer worked her way into the University of Wisconsin women's basketball team's starting lineup four games ago, it wasn't just her statistics that turned heads.

It was the energy the freshman forward brought to a team that was sitting at 2-3 after getting whipped at Virginia. And that's not to discount the numbers Steinbauer put up.

She averaged 12.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game in her first three starts, comfortable wins over Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne, UW-Milwaukee and Air Force.

But while Steinbauer wasn't able to add to those figures in Tuesday night's 81-58 win over UW-Green Bay — she spent the night watching from the bench, wearing a protective boot on her right foot after suffering an unspecified lower leg injury — the Badgers might have found a substitute for some of her energy.

UW coach Lisa Stone used a four-guard lineup, plugging in sophomore Teah Gant alongside sophomore point guard Rae Lin D'Alie and seniors Jolene Anderson and Janese Banks, and the four combined for 56 points, 16 rebounds, 16 assists, five steals and five turnovers.

"It's a good substitute if Tara can't go," said Banks, who had 16 points on 7-for-10 shooting. "I think it works to our advantage. We're a whole lot quicker on the perimeter."

The smaller lineup allowed the Badgers to apply full-court pressure when Stone elected, and UW's on-ball defense was the best it's been this season.

And offensively, the Badgers (6-3) were able to push the tempo and had four options capable of slashing into the lane.

"That's my personality, for heaven's sake," Stone said. "If we can go up-tempo and take care of the basketball, I think it's a fun thing to see, it's a fun thing to watch."

Stone will look for much of the same from her new-look starting five in tonight's non-conference finale against South Dakota State (6-3) at the Kohl Center — even if it's only a temporary lineup.

Steinbauer, who rode an exercise bike for much of Thursday's practice, is due to be re-evaluated by doctors next week and should be ready to go for UW's Big Ten Conference opener Dec. 28 at Purdue.

"I think the time here right now with finals week (next week) and the opportunity to get rehab, we expect her to be back for the start of the Big Ten," Stone said. "It's not season-ending or anything like that. ... She's still being evaluated by the doctors, but she's making really good progress and we're very optimistic."

That's good news for the Badgers. Stone thinks the smaller lineup could work in conference play — thanks to Anderson's ability to defend in the post despite her 5-foot-8 frame — but UW only would have one player taller than 5-10 (senior forward Danielle Ward at 6-4) in its starting five without Steinbauer.

"We had a pretty good matchup with Green Bay and we'll have a pretty good matchup with South Dakota State with a smaller lineup," Stone said. "I think it's a good sign of what our team is capable of when you're faced with an injury or foul trouble or somebody's tired or whatever, that we can go to the bench and keep going."