The Wisconsin women’s basketball team (13-14, 4-12 in Big Ten) had a week-long gap between their last win against Penn State and Sunday’s game against Northwestern.
Nearing the end of the regular season, every game is pivotal in deciding if the Badgers can clinch one of the remaining two spots in the Big Ten Tournament. But the seven-day rest didn’t slow down Wisconsin's momentum, as they won 73-68 against the Wildcats.
It was senior day for the Badgers as they took time pre-game to acknowledge three players leaving after the season commences. Halle Douglass, Natalie Leuzinger and Tess Myers were all recognized.
Douglass received a spot in the starting five after her 17-point performance in the win against Penn State. Leuzinger, Myers, Serah Williams and Ronnie Porter rounded out Wisconsin’s starting lineup.
Although not starting, Carter McCray was undoubtedly the Badgers’ best player on Sunday. McCray led Wisconsin with 22 points, a season high for the sophomore. McCray also snagged 11 rebounds, six of which came on the offensive glass. Despite fouling out in the fourth quarter, McCray left knowing she had a breakout performance.
Williams was the next leading scorer with 15 points, adding five rebounds and four assists. Shooting 6-19 on the day, Northwestern made it a point to double Williams in the post.
This troubled Williams throughout the game, forcing her to take mid-range jump shots or pass to her teammates. Williams also fouled out in the fourth quarter, highlighting Wisconsin’s foul issues on the day.
Porter scored 10 points, dishing out eight assists and grabbing six rebounds. Myers and Lily Khran both had nine points coming from three 3-pointers.
Wisconsin and Northwestern started the game with rapid-fire offenses. They traded buckets, both opting to get a majority of their points in the paint. McCray had seven points in the quarter, with Northwestern forward Caileigh Walsh keeping pace with six points herself.
After a Melannie Daley layup gave Northwestern a 15-13 lead with four minutes, 43 seconds remaining in the first quarter, Wisconsin turned on the defensive pressure. Capitalizing off turnovers and missed shots, the Badgers went on a 10-3 run to close the period with a 23-18 lead.
McCray started the second quarter with another layup, but the Wildcats proceeded to counter with a run of their own. A quick 7-0 sequence from Northwestern tied the game at 25 with 8:44 remaining.
Williams faced immense pressure from Northwestern’s defence in the second quarter, shooting 1-6 and struggling to get a clean look off. With their best scorer being pestered, Wisconsin needed someone to provide an offensive spark.
McCray stepped up, providing 75% of Wisconsin’s points in the period. Douglass scored on a fastbreak layup with four seconds remaining, giving Wisconsin a slight 35-34 lead at the half.
To start the second half, head coach Marisa Moseley inserted McCray into the starting lineup, replacing Myers. McCray’s 15 first-half points were enough for Moseley to put her out there immediately for the third quarter.
The third period saw tenacious defense from both teams, with zero points scored in the first two minutes. Northwestern finally broke the stalemate with 7:49 remaining, taking a 36-35 lead off a Taylor Williams second-chance layup.
Wisconsin contained Northwestern’s offense coming out of the break, limiting them to 3-16 shooting in the third quarter. A major sequence came when Williams blocked a shot attempt from Taylor Williams then proceeded to assist Khran on a fastbreak 3-pointer.
It was part of a larger 14-3 run from Wisconsin that saw McCray and Williams combine for 11 of the Badgers’ 18 points. Wisconsin ended the third period leading 53-43 with 10 minutes to play.
Despite the 10-point Badgers lead to start the fourth, Northwestern stayed competitive. Daley scored eight straight points for the Wildcats, pushing the lead down to four points.
Wisconsin’s offense once again slowed down, going almost three minutes without a field goal. This was in part due to the full-court press that Northwestern initiated mid-way through the fourth quarter.
The Badgers searched for a different offensive spark this time, with Myers coming up clutch. She scored all of her nine points off a perfect 3-3 from the 3-point line. Her last three was a dagger, coming at 1:27 remaining to cap off a 14-8 Wisconsin sequence that put the game away.
With two games remaining in the regular season, Wisconsin will look to win either one to clinch their spot in the Big Ten Tournament.
Their next test comes in the home season finale, where they’ll host the No. 3 UCLA Bruins Wednesday night.
