INDIANAPOLIS -- Despite outscoring Northwestern 27-15 in the fourth quarter, the Wisconsin women's basketball team couldn't complete its comeback, falling to Northwestern, 68-63, in the first round of the Big Ten Conference Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Wednesday afternoon.
The Badgers trailed 59-42 with 6:45 to play in the fourth quarter before starting their rally. An 8-0 run over the next 2:08 cut the Wildcat lead to 59-50 with 5:07 remaining. Freshman
Niya Beverley scored four-straight points, hitting a jumper and two free throws to key the run.
Wisconsin cut the lead to five (61-56) with 2:50 on the clock on another Beverley free throw before Northwestern scored two layups off the UW press to lead 65-56 with 1:49 to go. A 7-0 Badger run, prompted by the play of
Marsha Howard, made it a two-point game (65-63) with 31 seconds remaining. Howard had three points, a steal and an assist to lead the run.
After NU's Jordan Hamilton made one of two free throws with 17 seconds to play, senior
Cayla McMorris drove the lane but was called for a charge with one second on the clock. The Wildcats sank two more free throws late to clinch the win.
The Badgers struggled with shooting early in the game, hitting just 29.7 percent (14-47) for the first three quarters. Wisconsin shot an impressive 64.3 percent (9-14) in the fourth quarter to finish at 35.4 percent (23-65) for the game.
Northwestern hit 53.1 percent (26-49) for the game behind 24 points from Lindsey Pulliam.
The Wildcats edged the Badgers 33-31 in rebounds while UW tallied a season-low eight turnovers. Wisconsin dished off 15 assists behind a career-high six from Beverley.
From the court
"We felt when you're down 17, when they scored towards the end of the third quarter, that we had to do something to lengthen the game out. The press was good to us. It made us play at a faster pace. (Northwestern) got a little bit tentative in it. We were able to score off some turnovers, and it just ratcheted (up), even in our half-court offense, our activity level.
"We did give up a couple baskets in it, but again, I thought (the Wildcats) were playing with the proverbial playing not to lose, and we were able to take advantage of that. To get to the line with that attacking mentality, to be able to stop the clock, we had to be, because it came down to a one-possession game with 18 seconds left, and I thought … Cayla made a great play, (it) just didn't go that way for us, and it ended up being the offensive foul.
"But I'm just proud of that effort. (We) just can't let it get to that point and have to fight back, especially against a team that is so well-coached that's going to be able to try to shorten the game on us."
- Head coach
Jonathan Tsipis
Notables
- The Badgers wrap up the 2017-18 season 9-21, equaling last season's win total.
- Senior Cayla McMorris scored a team-high 22 points, her eighth career game with 20-or-more points, including six this season. The 6-0 guard finishes with 1,074 points in her career, which ranks 22nd on the UW record list. She also pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. McMorris was a perfect 7-7 from the free-throw line.
- Sophomore Courtney Fredrickson added 12 points while junior Marsha Howard chipped in 11 points.
- Wisconsin recorded a season-low eight turnovers, which ties for ninth on the UW single-game record list.
- Freshman Niya Beverley tied her career best with six assists. The 5-7 guard finishes her rookie season with 106 helpers, which ranks seventh on the UW single-season freshman record list.
- Junior Marsha Howard recorded a career-high four steals as the Badgers had eight takeaways in the game.
