Despite holding a 14-point lead with just over 10 minutes remaining, the UW women's basketball team was unable to hold on and was defeated 53-47 by No. 15 Michigan State Sunday on Senior Day at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich.
The contest drew a striking resemblance to the Badgers' first meeting with the Spartans on Jan. 12 at the Kohl Center, in which UW relinquished a 10-point lead with seven minutes to play.
The Badgers (3-10 Big Ten, 9-16 overall) were able to hold the Spartans' two leading scorers, seniors Lindsay Bowen and Liz Shimek, to just 18 points on a combined 6-24 shooting. However, the Badgers were unable to contain the two down the stretch, as the Spartan duo scored 14 in the last eight minutes.
With the Badgers leading 43-29 with 10:07 remaining in the game, the Spartans (9-4, 19-7) ripped off a 24-4 run to finish the game. Bowen started the run with back-to-back 3-pointers, her first points of the game, and ended the run with four consecutive free throws to seal UW's fate. Michigan State tied the game with 3:41 left in the game after a basket from Shimek, and with 59 seconds left, took the lead for good.
The Badgers outplayed the Spartans for the majority of the game, but committed 25 turnovers in the game, the second highest amount of the season. Michigan State's pressure defense, coupled with a hostile crowd of 9,181 fans, the sixth most in Michigan State women's basketball history, helped the Spartans swing the momentum, and contributed to the key mistakes made by the Badgers with the game on the line. Michigan State ended up with 15 steals to only 13 turnovers of its own.
Several players contributed for the Badgers in the game. Sophomore guard Jolene Anderson scored 10 points, grabbed nine boards and had a career-high six steels. Sophomore guard Janese Banks contributed with 11 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Senior forward Ashley Josephson and sophomore forward Danielle Ward pitched in with 11 points apiece. Ward was a force in the paint defensively, blocking six shots.
