INDIANAPOLIS -- After nine years and a school-record 161 victories at Wisconsin, coach Jane Albright's career ended Thursday afternoon with a 52-51 first-round loss to Indiana in the Big Ten tournament.

Albright had sought a contract extension, but when it didn't come this year, she announced Feb. 25 that she would resign.

The Badgers finished 7-21, their worst record since Albright took over in 1994-95.

"I told the team that you get moments in your life where you don't have a lot of words to describe them,'' she said, wiping her eyes and nose with a tissue. "I guess I'm at one of those moments now. I guess you could say surrender.''

It was ironic in some ways that Albright's finale at Wisconsin would come against Kathi Bennett.

The Hoosiers' coach grew up in Wisconsin, played and coached basketball there, and her father, Dick, arrived as the Badgers' men's coach in 1995 -- the year after Albright started in Madison, Wis.

Bennett said she hoped Albright would continue coaching.

"I think she's proven herself every single year. I don't understand it,'' Bennett said. "She's a tremendous coach and, honestly, I think they're foolish. I think she'll land somewhere and do a heck of a job.''

Albright, however, gave no hint of her future plans.

She called this season one of her "most rewarding'' and said she would consider writing a book about what she and her team endured.

Still, she struggled to find the right words.

"I'll miss it,'' she said. "But it's time to move on.''

Big Ten tournament notes: Freshman Angela Hawkins grabbed a Big Ten tournament record 17 rebounds in the Hoosiers' victory. ... Wisconsin was just 6-for-25 from the field in the first half Thursday. ... The Badgers were 0-5 in games decided by three points or fewer this season. ... Iowa did not just outrebound Northwestern 52-22, it also outrebounded them 19-5 on the offensive glass. ... Less than three months after suffering a torn ACL in her left knee, Indiana freshman Kali Kullberg returned to the court. With 35.9 seconds left in the first half, Kullberg entered the game for her first action since Dec. 14 -- and she did not even bother to wear a knee brace. Afterward, Kullberg said she felt fine -- even if her parents did not feel the same way. "You can't play cautious and you can't play hurt,'' she said. "I didn't. But I know it made my parents cringe when I was taking that charge.''