Going into Sunday’s game against the Penn State Lady Lions, the Wisconsin Badgers women’s basketball team sorely needed a win.
Losing their previous four games against Big Ten competition, their hopes of making it to the Big Ten Tournament rely heavily on how they close out the last four games of the regular season.
Wisconsin managed to win 75-68 over Penn State in a game that showcased the diversity the Badgers offense possesses when firing on all cylinders.
Serah Williams led the Badgers’ offense with 23 points. This is the 10th game during the regular season in which Williams has put up 20 points or more, a showcase of her incredible scoring ability.
Guard Ronnie Porter was the next leading scorer for the Badgers with 18 points. Her dynamic playmaking ability stood out on Sunday, dishing out a season-high 12 assists while only turning the ball over once.
Halle Douglas came off the bench, delivering 17 points with 4-of-7 shooting from 3-point range, and center Carter McCray followed with 15 points and seven rebounds.
While Wisconsin varied in who provided their scoring, Penn State relied heavily on the efforts of center Gracie Merkle. Her 28 points and 12 rebounds were both game highs for either team, keeping the Lady Lions neck-and-neck with Wisconsin all game long.
Wisconsin has had trouble easing into the first quarter in recent games. The Badgers had to come out strong early if they wanted to change their fortunes, averaging 12 points in the first quarter in the last three games.
Williams was a major part of the uptick of first-quarter scoring, providing 13 of the Badgers’ 21 points during the period.
Penn State kept it close, however, ending the quarter on a 4-0 run to make it a 24-21 for Wisconsin.
The second quarter saw the offensive blows slow down for both teams, with the Lady Lions winning the period 16-13. Merkle was perfect from the field for Penn State, scoring eight of the 16 points for them in the quarter.
Douglas led the Badgers in scoring during the second period, scoring five points in six minutes. At the halftime buzzer, the two teams were tied at 37.
Coming out of the break, Wisconsin struggled to get their shots down. Williams only attempted three shots in the third quarter, leading the Badgers to try and generate offense from the 3-point line. Going 0-of-7 from deep, Wisconsin only managed to score 14 points in the period.
Luckily for the Badgers, Penn State couldn’t keep the ball in their possession. They let up seven turnovers in the third quarter, which offset their 5-of-11 shooting. Offensive struggles from both sides left Wisconsin with a slight 51-50 edge heading into the fourth.
Wisconsin got contributions from their four leading scorers in the fourth quarter, with Douglas scoring nine points, shooting 2-of-3 from 3-point range and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line. Playing all 10 minutes in the quarter, head coach Marisa Moseley trusted Douglas as a fourth-quarter starter in a tight game.
Penn State wouldn’t back down, however, cutting the lead down to one with one minute, 54 seconds remaining in the game. Clutch makes by McCray and Douglas gave the Badgers a six-point lead with 1:08 left, forcing Penn State to play the odds of free throws.
Wisconsin would take care of business at the line, securing the victory and now stand at 12-14 on the season.
Next on the schedule is Northwestern, who currently sits at 17th in the Big Ten standings. With the Badgers sitting at 14th, getting another conference win this close to the end of the season would only further improve their chances at earning a Big Ten Tournament bid.
Wisconsin will return to the Kohl Center and host the Wildcats on Feb. 23.
