WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Behind a career-high 24 points from junior Marsha Howard, the Wisconsin women's basketball team downed Vanderbilt, 73-71, in overtime on Saturday afternoon in the final round of the Paradise Jam.

Howard led all scorers, shooting 9-14 from the field and 6-8 from the free-throw line. She tied her career high with nine rebounds, dished off a career-best five assists and tied her career high of two steals.
 
Senior Cayla McMorris, who named to the all-tournament team, added 16 points and seven rebounds while sophomore Kendra Van Leeuwen scored 10 points.
 
The Badgers (3-3) shot a season-high 53.6 percent (30-56) from the field and outrebounded the Commodores, 34-31. Vanderbilt (1-6) hit 43.8 percent (28-64) from the field.

Wisconsin dished off a season-high 20 assists, including a career-best six dimes from freshman Niya Beverley.
 

Notables

• Junior Marsha Howard had a career game, scoring a career-high 24 points while adding a career best five assists. The 5-10 forward also tied her career bests of nine rebounds and two steals.
• Senior Cayla McMorris was named to the Paradise Jam All-Tournament team. The 6-0 guard averaged 17.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game on the weekend.
• The Badgers are off to their best start at 3-3 since 2012-13.
• The game featured 18 ties and 14 lead changes, with both teams leading by as many as six points during the contest.
• Wisconsin had a season-high 20 assists. Freshman Niya Beverley recorded a career-high six dimes.
   

From the court

"We were able to overcome. Even that last possession there when we had the ball and we had the turnover, to be able to put them in a position where they had to take a tough shot. It wasn't the prettiest overtime but defense and rebounding wins it for us. Our kids executed really well.  I thought we played team basketball throughout.
"We talked about controllables. All the way from how loud the bench is to making sure everybody is locked in with what we're trying to do. "

• Head coach Jonathan Tsipis
   

Turning Point

Wisconsin led 69-66 with 2:37 to play in regulation off a layup by Kendra Van Leeuwen. Vanderbilt scored three points over the next 1:15 to knot the score at 69 with 1:22 left. Neither team could score over the last minute of play, sending the game into overtime.

The OT period was scoreless until the Commodores Kayla Overbeck scored a layup with 2:21 to play to give Vanderbilt a 71-69 lead. Wisconsin's Cayla McMorris hit a jumper just 26 seconds later to tie the score again at 71. Marsha Howard scored the go-ahead layup with 1:14 to go as the Badgers held off two late Vanderbilt shots.
 

Up Next

UW returns to action on Wednesday, traveling to Pittsburgh for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Tip time is 6 p.m. CT from the Petersen Events Center on the University of Pittsburgh campus.