The University of Wisconsin women’s basketball team moved to 9-9 on the season after breaking a three-game skid by defeating the now 14-5 University of Minnesota Golden Gophers by a score of 59-56 in front of their home crowd.
In those three consecutive Big Ten losses, UW’s defense allowed an average of 82 points, but an unusually icy Golden Gophers’ offense was smothered to the tune of a 2-for-17 first quarter shooting performance. The Badgers’ offense ambushed Minnesota out the gate with a 9-2 run to start the game and ultimately left an ugly first quarter leading 13-6.
After being outscored 26-36 in the first quarter of their last two games, UW worked on starting games with increased energy.
“We know how important it is to have a strong start especially defensively to start up and not down,” freshman Tessa Grady said after the game.
The Golden Gophers quickly regained their composure in the second quarter and took just five minutes to capture an 18-17 lead. The scrappy defensive struggle became a back-and-forth battle filled with tenacious defense, yet inconsistent shooting. By the time the dust settled on a rugged first half, UW grabbed hold of a 26-24 lead.
The Badgers’ steadfast defensive effort was met by an elite Minnesota defensive unit that entered the game allowing just under 60 points per game. The combination of UW’s tenacity and Minnesota’s technical prowess resulted in the two teams shooting a combined 21-for-67 in the first half. Throughout the game, 3-pointers in particular were at a premium — where the rival teams made just 5-of-21 attempts.
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The Badgers’ lead came largely as a result of sophomore Serah Williams who spent the first half making her presence felt on both ends of the floor. UW’s leading scorer and rebounder mustered 10 points and nine rebounds through steadfast rim pressure.
Neither team pulled away in the third, and a thrilling fourth quarter began with UW holding a one-possession lead. Minnesota — who previously outscored opponents by an average of six points in the fourth this season — saw their shooting come alive. The Golden Gophers shot 37% going into the final frame, yet connected on seven of their first 10 shots in the fourth to take a 2-point lead with 2:11 to play.
Any momentum gained by Minnesota was turned on its head when Williams, who shoots just under 17% from distance for her career, nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the arc to give UW the lead back. Williams would finish the day with 24 points and 15 boards — including a 10-point fourth quarter effort on just three shots.
An Amaya Battle layup gave Minnesota the lead back but another big three — this time from Grady — gave Wisconsin an advantage they would not relinquish as the Golden Gophers finished their hot fourth quarter with a 1-for-7 stretch.
“There’s times in these last few games where we got open looks and if those go in that kind of changes the trajectory of the game,” head coach Marisa Moseley said after the game. “I think we stepped up and made big threes when we needed to.”
UW finished 7-for-27 from three with Grady — who had 15 points — providing five threes on 11 shots.
UW Head Coach Marissa Moseley was quick to praise the defensive effort from sophomore Sania Copeland who has frequently guarded the opposition’s best player. Copeland’s swarming perimeter defense saw Minnesota’s Mara Braun — who averages 18 points per game — score just nine points on 13 shots.
The 9-9 Badgers will play Rutgers University at home on Saturday before taking to the road to play No. 12 ranked Ohio State University in Columbus next week Thursday.
