Wisconsin (0-0 Big Ten, 6-1 overall) lost its first game of the season in a nail-biting 69-68 loss to Arkansas (0-0 SEC, 4-2) in the final game of the Challenge in Music City tournament on Sunday.
Arkansas started the game off strong and was leading 20-17 after the first quarter. The Badgers were able to make a comeback and grab a 52-46 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but the Razorbacks ended up on top as Malica Monk scored a layup with 11 seconds left.
Wisconsin struggled in holding onto the ball as it committed 16 turnovers compared to Arkansas’ 10. Those turnovers along with the Badgers’ continued struggles from the free throw line — UW barely shot above 50 percent — helped lead to the first loss of the season. Their stars struggled from the line, as senior forward Marsha Howard missed four free throws and freshman forward Imani Lewis missed two.
Arkansas also was effective from the three-point line. Razoback sophomore guard Chelsea Dungee shot 3-for-5 from three as she led the team with 20 points. Meanwhile, Wisconsin was not quite as succesful, as freshman guard Alex Leuhring went 3-for-10 shooting from three as the Badgers shot 26 percent from behind the arc.
One positive for Wisconsin was junior guard Kendra Van Leeuwen’s standout performance. Van Leeuwen finished with a double-double and nearly got a triple-double as she managed to score 12 points, with 12 assists and 8 rebounds.
Although the Badgers kept the game close, their weaknesses were exposed against the Razorbacks. UW will hope to improve their free throw shooting and be more careful with the ball as the season progresses.
Their next game is a home game against the Duke Blue Devils (4-3) Wednesday night.
