Bench vs. Green Bay
Jack McLaughlin
74
Wisconsin WIS (2-2)
77
Winner Syracuse SU (4-0)
Wisconsin WIS
(2-2)
74
Final
77
Syracuse SU
(4-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Wisconsin WIS 21 24 10 19 74
Syracuse SU 19 27 15 16 77

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Badgers drop close back-and-forth battle with Orange

Wisconsin falls 77-74 to Syracuse in Paradise Jam opener

WASHINGTON D.C. -- In what was a back-and-forth game, the Wisconsin women's basketball team dropped a close 77-74 battle with Syracuse, who was favored to be the strongest contender in the Paradise Jam tournament. The Badgers (2-2 overall) and the Orange (4-0) traded the lead 11 times and were tied five times.

Neither team led by more than eight points the entire game as Syracuse's largest lead was eight in the fourth quarter and Wisconsin's was six in the first quarter.

Senior Cayla McMorris had her best game of the season against one of the Badgers' toughest opponents to date. The Brooklyn Park, Minnesota native put up a season-high 21 points on the Orange, sinking seven field goals and four 3-pointers.

In the last 64 seconds of the game, McMorris was the star of the show, hitting a 3-pointer to bring UW within two and then tying the game at 74-74 off of two made free throws with just 40 seconds left. But Syracuse hit three free throws down the stretch to win the opening game of the three-day tournament. 

Sophomore Courtney Fredrickson led the Badgers on the glass, bringing down eight rebounds.

Wisconsin had a strong start at the start of each quarter, beginning the first with an 11-5 lead, but also captured the lead at the starts of the third and fourth quarter as well.
 

Notes to Know:

  • UW shot better from the field, shooting 46 percent (26-of-57) compared to 42 percent (26-62) by Syracuse.
  • Wisconsin also shot better from the 3-point line, shooting 47 percent (8-17) compared to 33 percent by the Orange (11-33).
  • Both teams made 14 free throws but Wisconsin went 14-22 from the charity stripe, while Syracuse was 14-of-15.
  • In addition to her season-best 21 points, McMorris had a season-high four assists, which tied her career high. Her 21 points were the second-most in a single game by an individual UW player this season, behind Abby Laszewski's 25 against Southern on Monday night.
  • Freshman Niya Beverley had a career-high five assists.
  • The Badgers shot 63.6 percent (14-of-22) from the charity stripe, UW's second-highest free-throw percentage of the season.

Turning Point:

Syracuse took its largest lead of the game (+8) at the 5:35 mark in the fourth quarter, but the Badgers came back swinging. UW went on a 5-0 run over the next two minutes to cut the lead down to three.
 

Up Next:

UW takes on Head Coach Jonathan Tsipis' former school, George Washington, on its home court at noon on Friday. The Badgers close out the tournament on Saturday at noon against Vanderbilt.

 
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