The Wisconsin women's basketball team, bolstered by a 20-5 rally in the final ten minutes of the second half, defeated Northwestern (3-6 Big Ten, 14-8 overall) 62-50 to hold on to first place in the Big Ten. The win is the third straight for the Badgers (7-2, 12-9) and their tenth in the last twelve games.
With the Wildcats leading 45-42 at the 10:39 mark, senior forward Lin Zastrow rattled off seven straight points to give the Badgers a lead they would not relinquish. Those seven were part of Zastrow's 17 for the night. Senior point guard Alyssa Karel also posted 17 in the contest.
""We went on a 20-5 run to end the game and the 20 is less important to me than the five,"" Wisconsin head coach Lisa Stone said. ""We really held Northwestern at bay. Northwestern got some good looks but we are able to limit them to one shot and get the rebound.""
The Badgers hit six of seven free throws in the closing moments of the game to secure the victory.
And while it was the offense down the stretch that sealed the win for Wisconsin, it was the defensive side that laid a steady foundation for the victory. The Badgers held Northwestern to just under 40 percent shooting from the field for the game, but the Wildcats held on with 8-23 from beyond the arc.
The Badgers also shut down senior center Amy Jaeschke, who had averaged 23 points per game— second most in the Big Ten coming into Sunday. Jasechke managed just ten points against Wisconsin, but did secure a double-double with 11 rebounds.
""Amy Jaeschke had only 10 points today and that was amazing,"" Stone said. ""I credit our defense, not only Lin Zastrow but our entire team defense.""
The Badgers and Wildcats matched each other in play for most the first half, with six lead changes. On top of 6-11 three-point shooting, Wisconsin took a 28-5 lead into halftime.
Sophomore guard Taylor Wurtz put on a shooting clinic in the first half sinking four three-pointers and accounting for half of the team's total points. Wurtz failed, however, to score a basket in the second half.
Northwestern out-rebounded Wisconsin in the game 32-27, but the Badgers converted 19 steals into 17 points, while coughing up the ball just 12 times.
Senior guards Meshia Reed and Beth Marshall led the Wildcats with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
""We had a week to prepare and I thought our game plan was outstanding,"" Stone said. ""This is a tough place to play against a really good team. Our team continues to grow and get better.""
Following Michigan State and Michigan losses Sunday, the Badgers, at 7-2, stand tied for the conference lead with Penn State who handled struggling Ohio State Sunday to also remain at 7-2.
Wisconsin faces a pivotal contest this week as they welcome the No. 10 Michigan State Spartans into the Kohl Center Thursday. That contest will be a rematch of Jan. 6 when the Spartans embarrassed the Badgers by 19 points in East Lansing, Mich.
—uwbadgers.com contributed to this report.
