The University of Wisconsin women’s basketball team (12-14, 4-12 Big Ten) defeated unranked Northwestern (9-16, 2-12) in a Big Ten showdown at the Kohl Center Sunday afternoon for senior day, bringing Wisconsin to 10 wins in a historically difficult matchup.
Sophomore Carter McCray led the team’s scoring with a season-high 22 points and also contributed 11 rebounds, pushing the Badgers to make a final push in hopes of making the Big Ten tournament.
Juniors Ronnie Porter and Serah Williams combined for 37 points, with efficient 3-point shooting from senior Tess Myers helping the Badgers come out on top against the Wildcats.
The game started out relatively slow as both teams looked to find their bigs inside the paint, creating back-and-forth scoring. As the first quarter dwindled, a Northwestern turnover led junior Lily Krahn to a quick 3-pointer. The Badgers led by five points at the end of the first quarter, ending with a field goal from McCray for her seventh point of the game.
Despite the lead, the Badgers had a slow start to begin the second quarter. An aggressive start by the Wildcats allowed them to tie the game up at 25-25. As the quarter progressed, Northwestern’s offense, led by senior Caileigh Walsh, began to slow down. A series of wildcat misses allowed Wisconsin to keep the scoring even.
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Ending the quarter, the Badgers made a pair of free throws followed by a successful fast-break 2-pointer by grad student Halle Douglass, making for a 35-34 lead going into halftime.
Like in the second quarter, the Badgers started slowly in the third, missing six shots in a row. Northwestern also got off to a slow start but converted on a quick layup from graduate student Taylor Williams, giving them a narrow one-point lead.
With a series of fast breaks, the Badgers pushed out in front with around three minutes left in the quarter. McCray added two points to end the third and pad the Badger’s eight-point lead.
Both teams flipped the narrative to start the fourth quarter, opening with successful offensive trips down the court before a series of missed shots and turnovers led to a pause in scoring.
With seven minutes left in the game, Northwestern senior Melannie Daley scored a quick four points closing the gap to five. Consecutive failed offensive drives by Wisconsin led Northwestern to pick up two quick free throws, causing the Badger’s lead to drop to three.
When it seemed that the game may be swinging in favor of the Wildcats, Krahn and Myers drained two consecutive 3s, doubling the Badger’s lead to six.
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Myers and Porter went on a scoring spree for the Badgers, accounting for the rest of the Badger’s 11 points. Despite the effort on offense from Taylor Williams, Northwestern could not catch Wisconsin.
The Badgers, who now sit at No. 14 in the Big Ten standings, remain in play for the Big Ten tournament beginning March 5.
The Badgers win gives the team a much-needed confidence boost as they head into their final home game of the season on Wednesday, Feb. 6, where they will face No. 3 UCLA. Led by junior Lauren Betts, who averages 19.7 points a game, the Badgers will look to put up a good fight against the Bruins.