Badgers fall 66-61 to Wildcats

Thursday, January 15

Evanston, IL

7 PM

Wisconsin Badgers

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Northwestern

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Wisconsin

Northwestern

Badgers fall 66-61 to Wildcats

January 15, 2026 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Wisconsin cuts the deficit late but can’t complete comeback at Northwestern

By: Abby Madonia

EVANSTON, Ill. – Wisconsin came up just short in a back-and-forth battle, falling 66–61 to Northwestern on Thursday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Destiny Howell led the Badgers with 13 points, shooting 5-for-15 from the field and knocking down three triples. Breauna Ware added 12 points and six rebounds, while Ronnie Porter chipped in 10 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Dorja Zaja provided a strong presence inside with six points, three rebounds, and three assists.

How it happened

Wisconsin opened the game with strong defensive energy, forcing turnovers and generating early offense in transition. The Badgers shot 36% in the opening quarter and took a 15–14 lead after ten minutes behind early contributions from Howell and Ware.

The Badgers continued to build momentum in the second quarter, outscoring Northwestern 17–16. Howell scored seven points in the period, including a pair of threes, while Zaja and Jovana Spasovski added interior baskets. Wisconsin built its largest lead of the half at 10 points and went into halftime leading 32–30.

Northwestern turned the tide coming out of the break, shooting 50% in the third quarter and knocking down three three-pointers.

Wisconsin battled back in the final period, hitting 4-of-8 from three-point range. Ware scored eight of her 12 points in the second half, and Kyrah Daniels added timely buckets to keep the Badgers within striking distance. Wisconsin cut the deficit to three in the final minute, but Northwestern closed the game at the free-throw line to secure the 66–61 victory.

The Badgers ended the game shooting 39.7% (23-58) from the field, 36.8% (7-19) from deep, and 88.9% (8-9) from the free throw line.

The Wildcats shot 40.7% (22-54) from the floor, 42.9% (6-14) from three, and 100.0% (16-16) from the free throw line.

Notes to know:

Ware had a season high 6 rebounds.
Wisconsin outscored Northwestern 15-4 in bench points.

Up Next: Wisconsin returns home to host the Oregon Ducks on Sunday, Jan. 18. Tip is set for 3:00 p.m. (CT). The game can be streamed on Big Ten Network.