After a tough battle, the Wisconsin Badgers (0-6 Big Ten, 7-12 overall) are still looking to obtain their first Big Ten win after falling to Penn State (2-4, 11-8), 69-62. Penn State snapped its three-game losing streak in the process, while securing only its second win in Big Ten play and its first Big Ten road game win.
Penn State jumped out in front early in the contest and led until a 10-0 Wisconsin run early in the fourth quarter tied the game. However, UW was able to extend a lead against PSU and capture a conference victory. Instead, the Nittany Lions used a late run to extend their own lead.
Penn State was led by Amari Carter who scored a new career-high, 21 points. Following close behind Carter was Jaida Travascio-Green and Siyeh Frazier, scoring 20 and 12 points respectively.
Carter, who leads PSU in both steals and assists, did an excellent job of facilitating ball movement, which in turn led to effective 3-point shooting not only for herself, but also for the rest of the Penn State team.
On the UW side, it was led by knockdown shooter Suzanne Gilreath, who brought a little life back into the Badgers by hitting some important threes in order to shorten Penn State’s lead. In close pursuit to Gilreath was Cayla McMorris, who seemed to be back in her element as she put up 15 points, 10 of which came in the second half alone. Another Badger who ended the game in double figures was Courtney Fredrickson, a player who has continued to be a reliable offensive presence, whether through shooting the three, the mid-range jumper or finishing second chance chances around the rim.
Through the entirety of the game, the Badgers struggled in maintaining control of the ball and finished with 19 turnovers that translated into 24 PSU points.
Additionally, UW was unsuccessful in being able to convert steals into fast break points, whereas Penn State excelled in this area, seeing as it ended the game with 19 fast break points compared to Wisconsin’s 6 points.
Moving forward, the Badgers must do a better job at finishing close games. In both the Northwestern and then Penn State game, Wisconsin was able to cut into its opponents’ leads, or even tie the game, yet in both instances the Badgers were soon shut down after the opposing team went on a run to end the game in their favor.
In order to snatch a victory from the claws of defeat, the Badgers must break their habit of being out-rebounded, a flaw which has led to almost of their losses this season. Also, Wisconsin must step up its intensity and play tough defense for more than just the last few minutes of play.
With this game behind them, the Badgers hit the road to face Minnesota on Jan. 18 as they continue to look for a win during Big Ten play.
