The University of Wisconsin women’s basketball team (2-1) suffered their first loss of the season 79-57 in a contest against South Dakota State University (3-0) on Wednesday, Nov. 13.
Junior forward Serah Williams shone despite the loss, scoring 19 points on 8-13 shooting, accompanied by nine rebounds and four assists. Junior guard Ronnie Porter contributed 11 points and four assists, with sophomore Carter McCray adding eight points and grad student Natalie Leuzinger tallying nine, sharing the ball amongst each other.
The first quarter opened with the Badgers scoring first on a layup by Williams, leading to back-and-forth lead changes. With an even share of the ball, the Jackrabbits pulled away to a double-digit 17-6 lead with just over three minutes left in the quarter. The Badgers were able to hold them to 17 points, cutting the lead down to 17-13 with a layup from Williams closing out the quarter.
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In the second quarter, the Jackrabbits continued to extend their lead with scores from redshirt junior Haleigh Timmer and senior Paige Meyer. But, the Badgers kept it competitive with impressive rebounding and defense leading to a closing out the quarter down 36-30.
The second half opened with Timmer and Leuzinger trading baskets. But, things got worse down the stretch, as the Jackrabbits outscored the Badgers 23-17 in the third quarter. Problems continued in the fourth quarter after the Jackrabbits went on an 8-0 run, making the score 70-51 with 5:15 left to play. Despite the Badger’s efforts, the 19-point deficit was too much to overcome with a final score of 79-57. The Badgers finished the game at a 41.1 field goal percentage, with 32 points in the paint and 12 points off turnovers.
Looking ahead, the Badger’s next game is set to tip off at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17th in the Kohl Center where they will be hosting the Milwaukee Panthers (2-2).