The Wisconsin women’s basketball team lost their fourth consecutive game on Wednesday night, falling to No. 22 Michigan State at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan.
Star forward Serah Williams, efficient from the field, scored 23 points with 8-13 shooting in her 29 minutes on the court. It wasn’t just her shooting that left a mark — she recorded a double-double as well with 12 rebounds on the night.
Williams earned her seventh double-double of the season.
Center Carter McCray joined in the scoring effort for Wisconsin with 16 points and nine rebounds. Along with Williams, the two accounted for over 50% of the Badgers’ total scoring in the contest.
Scoring 71 points, the Badgers had the offensive production for a chance at a win. But Michigan State's offense was lethal, scoring 91 points themselves with four players in double-digit scoring and 31 points off the bench.
Similar to many of their games against Big Ten Members, Wisconsin got off to a slow start in the first quarter. Williams and McCray were the only two scorers in the quarter, providing 15 points.
Despite the dynamic scoring of Williams and McCray, six turnovers in the quarter meant that Michigan State had plenty of chances to counter Wisconsin’s duo. Forward Grace VanSlooten led the Spartans with eight points in the quarter, with Michigan State leading 26-15 after 10 minutes of game time.
Lily Krahn led Wisconsin in scoring in the second quarter, with six points all coming from the 3-point arc. Williams, McCray and Tess Myers joined in the effort, giving the Badgers an improved scoring attack compared to the previous quarter.
Despite the variety of offense, ball-handling was still an issue. Five more turnovers in the quarter allowed Michigan State to keep up in the second, leaving Wisconsin with the same 11-point deficit as they went into halftime down 43-32.
The third quarter saw the game get away from Wisconsin. Michigan State outscored the Badgers 29-16, with their defensive prowess securing six turnovers in the third.
The Badgers cleaned up the turnovers in the fourth, but the deficit of 24 going into the quarter was too much to overcome. Losing by 20, Wisconsin has dropped their fourth consecutive game since beating Michigan on Jan. 29.
The next four games prove to be pivotal for Wisconsin, as they sit 15th in the Big Ten Conference after Wednesday night. The top 15 teams in the conference get a bid in the Big Ten Tournament, with Wisconsin capturing the last spot of the season ended today.
Two of Wisconsin’s last four games are against teams below them in the current standings. One of those will come this Sunday afternoon against a Penn State team who’ve lost their last six games.
Sunday's outcome will be a good determining factor if the Badgers can continue pushing for a bid in the Big Ten Tournament.
