Following Thursday’s 39-point debacle with the Michigan Wolverines, Marisa Moseley’s Wisconsin squad (5-13, 2-6 Big Ten) defeated Carolyn Kieger and the Penn State Nittany Lions (9-8, 3-4 Big Ten) in Madison Jan. 23.
The University of Wisconsin struggled to generate offense early on, scoring 11 points on 4-11 shooting from the floor. Fortunately, Penn State only put in five buckets for 17 points through the opening period. The two groups battled back-and-forth during the first three minutes of the game.
With help from Makenna Marisa and Leilani Kapinus, the Nittany Lions snapped back with a 10-4 scoring run to close the quarter.
Penn State picked it up in the second quarter, nailing 54.5% of attempts and overpowering Wisconsin 10-4 on the glass. With nine Nittany Lion turnovers and four Badger steals, UW was able to cut the edge to four.
With efficient scoring from Katie Nelson and a three-point snipe from Brooke Schramek, Wisconsin separated in the third, hitting 8-14 shots and closing the first half on an 8-1 scoring run. The Badgers accounted for 25 total points off 57.1% in the period, and with just two free throws from the ultra-aggressive Sydney Hilliard, UW transformed a four-point deficit into a nine-point advantage entering the fourth quarter. Wisconsin chipped in half of their three-point total during the third frame, effectively shifting the momentum before the final stretch.
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UW continued its long-range excellence in the fourth, hitting consecutive looks from behind the arc to extend the edge to 12. Marisa and Kapinus clapped back, cutting the Badger lead to five with 4:25 to spare.
Penn State went 1-6 from the field and turned it over three times during crunch time. With Nelson and Hilliard combining to score the final ten Wisconsin points, the red and white officially grabbed their second Big Ten victory.
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Badgers guard Julie Pospíšilová executed on a team-leading nine shot attempts for 23 total points with two looks from deep and 53% from the floor. In her 39 minutes of action, point guard Nelson added 24 points and three assists with an impressive 70% shooting mark.
The Massachusetts native was hotter than a blowtorch — she hit four of six three-point attempts and all six of her free throws. Sophomore Schramek racked up 13 points, pulled down eight rebounds and recorded a 3-5 effort from deep.
For Penn State, Marisa, a 2021 All-Big Ten Honorable Mention, punched in eight field goals, including four three-pointers for a game-high 26 points. Guard Kapinus had 10 points and six rebounds along with teammate Tova Sabel, with nine points and six rebounds.
Looking ahead, the Badgers face off next against the Nebraska Cornhuskers Jan. 27 in Lincoln.
