Nov. 22, 2009
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes
MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin trailed by as many as 15 points against Cleveland State Sunday but a Taylor Wurtz jumper in the paint put the Badgers ahead 69-68 with 1:39 remaining. The Badger freshman then went 1-for-2 from the free throw line to seal the 70-68 UW victory in front of 4,384 fans at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin 70, Cleveland State 68
| 1st | 2nd | Final |
| Cleveland State (1-2) | 40 | 28 | 68 |
| Wisconsin (3-0) | 28 | 42 | 70 |
| Statistical Leaders |
| Points: Alyssa Karel (UW) 14 points | Shawnita Garland (CSU) 23 points |
Rebounds: Lin Zastrow (UW) 8 rebounds | Janelle Adams (CSU) 7 rebounds
|
| Assists: Alyssa Karel (UW) 5 assists | Two players (CSU) 4 assists |
Cleveland State had two opportunities on its final possession, but missed a jumper and a layup in the closing seconds.
The Badgers played from behind most of the game, trailing by 15 points with 1:49 remaining in the first half. Cleveland State maintained a sizeable lead in the second half, until the Badgers went on a 15-5 run, pulling within three points (50-47) with 11:24 left to play. Junior forward Lin Zastrow, who sat most of the first half due to foul trouble, scored seven-straight points for Wisconsin during the run.
The Vikings jumped out to a seven-point lead at the 5:50 mark and again at the 3:56 mark, but Wisconsin outscored Cleveland State 9-0 in the final four minutes of the game.
Wurtz finished with 10 points, marking her second career game scoring in double figures. Junior guard Alyssa Karel led the Badgers with 14 points while Zastrow added 12 points, all of which came in the second half. Wisconsin shot 47.5 percent from the field.
Cleveland State was on fire offensively, shooting 51.0 percent from the field, and had three players finish in double figures. Shawnita Garland scored 23 for the Vikings while Kailey Klein put up 19 points.
Wisconsin won the battle on the boards, outrebounding the Vikings 33-24 with Zastrow’s eight rebounds leading the way. The Badgers finished with a slight edge in turnovers, giving the ball away 15 times compared to 17 for Cleveland State. Both teams capitalized on the turnovers as CSU scored 19 points off the giveaways compared to 16 points for Wisconsin.
The Badgers created 11 of those turnovers with steals. Karel finished with four steals, tying her career high, while Rae Lin D’Alie had three.
Both teams traded points in the early stages of the first half before Cleveland State went on a 13-2 run to lead 24-14. At that point, Wisconsin was whistled for 10 fouls, compared to just one for the Vikings.
The Badgers then went on a 6-0 run, thanks to four points and two steals by Jamie Russell and a bucket by Karel, putting Wisconsin within four (29-25). Wisconsin then went scoreless for more than four minutes as Cleveland State outscored the Badgers 11-0, taking a 15-point lead. Russell ended the Badgers’ scoring drought with a 3-pointer as Cleveland State took the 40-28 lead into halftime.
The Vikings went into the lockerroom shooting 62.5 percent, with Garland and Klein scoring 17 and 14 points, respectively.
Wisconsin finished the first half, shooting 44.8 percent from the field and Karel led the Badgers with eight points, while Russell added seven.
Cleveland State led by as many as 13 in the opening minutes of the second half, but the Badgers then used their run to climb back into the game.
CSU re-gained a five-point lead at 54-49 but after Wurtz went 1-for-2 from the free throw line and D’Alie drained a 3-pointer, the Badgers were within one point (54-53) with 8:45 remaining. The Vikings managed to have yet another answer, converting on a four-point play as Garland made a 3 from the corner and was fouled by Jade Davis.
Once again, the Badgers pulled within two (61-59) after Karel made two free throws and a bucket. Cleveland State scored on its next two possessions with a layup and 3-pointer go take the 66-59 lead with 5:50 remaining. The Vikings managed just one more bucket the rest of the way as Wisconsin rallied for the 70-68 victory.
The Badgers return to the Kohl Center Tuesday night for an 8 p.m. game against in-state rival Green Bay. Tuesday’s game will air live on the Big Ten Network.
