MADISON, WI. – The Wisconsin women's basketball team came out strong Saturday morning, defeating La Salle 71-60 at the Kohl Center.

The Badgers (5-3 overall) dug La Salle (4-4) an early 19-point deficit in the second quarter and the Explorers never climbed out, allowing the Badgers to grab their third-straight win.

Senior Cayla McMorris recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. McMorris has shown incredible offensive consistency scoring in double digits during seven of the last eight games.

UW junior forward Marsha Howard had an equally impressive day with her own double-double, scoring 13 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Howard has had a double-double in the last two games. 

Sophomore Courtney Fredrickson tied McMorris for the team leader in points with 14 points and three rebounds of her own.

Turning Point

Wisconsin started the game strong, shooting 50 percent from the field in the first  quarter and never trailed during the game. The Badgers held off a large rally by La Salle in the third quarter when the Explorers came within one point of the Badgers (41-40).  The Badgers' 21 points (9-of-16) in the fourth quarter held the Explorers off en route to a UW victory.

Notes to Know

• Three Badgers scored double-digit points, with two double-doubles from Marsha Howard (13), Cayla McMorris (11). The third double-digit scorer was Courtney Fredrickson (14).
• Marsha Howard and Cayla McMorris both currently lead the team in rebounds, both recording 10 or more total rebounds in Saturday's game. Howard came in with 10 and McMorris with 11. Howard's rebound average is 8.5 per game and McMorris' is 7.4.
• The Badgers had a season-low 10 turnovers.
• Niya Beverley recorded five assists, just one shy of her 2017-18 season best of six. 
• The last time the Badgers had two players grab a double-double was last season against Nebraska when Courtney Fredrickson and Avyanna Young achieved the feat. 
• La Salle shot a whopping 24 attempts from the free throw line going 19-24 from the line.
• The Badgers narrowly outrebounded La Salle, grabbing 40 boards to the Explorers 38.
• UW was dominant from the field, shooting 46.2 percent (30-65) to La Salle's 30.85 percent (18-59).
• The Badgers never trailed in Saturday morning's victory.
• UW improved to 5-3 on the season with three-straight victories.
• Kendall Shaw recorded a season-high eight points in the win. 

Straight from the Court

Jonathan Tsipis

"I thought what really helped LaSalle get back in the game was putting them on the free-throw line. I think from their point of view it came down to confidence."

"Spreading it out today. Cayla (McMorris) and Marsha (Howard) both had double-doubles. Kendall Shaw gave us great minutes had some great low-post touches I think Shelly Marble has done such a great job for us defensively and it's great to see somebody ready when their name is called on the offensive end. I thought Marsha and Cayla, there was a fight about them. They weren't going to give up another offensive rebound. They were going to make sure we could get some more baskets in transition."

"La Salle is a team that I know has been playing very very well. They won three in a row. We didn't give them the basketball. I think that's a season low for us, 10 turnovers. Just proud of the way our group fought."

"All we're talking about right now is practice tomorrow and getting ready for Marquette. Marquette preparation starts right when we walk out of the locker room."

"I think in different areas, we had different people step up. Our bench outscored La Salle 30-0. Maybe I subbed a little more in the first half because I felt like that could play out in the long run. I think this is one of the first times we've been able to keep some of the starters under 30 minutes which we need to be able to have because on Monday night we might need that."

Senior Cayla McMorris
"I feel like we really kept our composure. We know teams are going to go on runs and it's just about how we bounce back from that and continue to lock down and do what we're good at which is defending and then getting a shot on the other end. So I feel like that is what we held ourselves to in order to maintain that lead."

On looking ahead to Marquette:
"Just playing team ball. I feel like those games I played well my teammates was looking for me and they were able to find me. So I feel like us just playing together is what's going to get us to play well against Marquette."

Up Next

The Badgers travel to Milwaukee on Monday to take on Marquette at the Al McGuire Center in a 7 p.m. CT in-state battle.