Penn State used a 15-0 run to open the second half and break open a close game to defeat Wisconsin 76-62 in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
Led by the nation’s top scorer, Kelly Mazzante, who made 7 of 8 three-point attempts in the second half, Penn State converted 64 percent of its field-goal attempts in the final frame to advance to the championship game.
“It was a tale of two halves,” Wisconsin head coach Jane Albright said. “In the first half, we stuck to a game plan, had some good execution and played very good defense. In the first few minutes of the second half, they went on a 15-0 run and that is [about] what the final margin ended up being.”
The Badgers, who were making their first appearance in the semifinals, drop to 19-11 on the season and hope to hear of an NCAA opportunity when the selection show airs on ESPN this coming Sunday. A Big Ten tournament championship would have granted UW an automatic bid — and its two wins over the weekend might aid its case for an at-large — but eight losses in its final nine regular-season games put those hopes in doubt.
Penn State improves to 21-10 on the year and will play Indiana, which upset defending-champion Purdue 55-41 earlier in the day, in the title game on Monday.
Trailing 33-31 at the half, Penn State stormed out of the locker room and took control of the game. Mazzante, who finished with 34 points, made four three-point baskets to fuel an 18-2 run that gave the Lady Lions a 49-35 lead at the 15:34 mark of the second half.
Wisconsin forward Jessie Stomski, who recorded season-highs with 32 points and 16 rebounds, tried to lead a Badger comeback.
UW cut the PSU margin to only eight points, 63-55, with six minutes left to play, but Mazzante again spoiled things for Wisconsin by scoring seven points during a 10-0 run that put the game out of reach at 73-55 with 3:06 left on the clock.
“Kelly Mazzante obviously put on a clinic in perimeter play,” Albright said. “On the other hand, we had three guards that made one perimeter shot. We had our inside game working but just didn’t do much on the outside.”
Wisconsin used a poised ball-control game to keep things close in the first half. The two teams battled to 13 lead changes and five tie scores in the first 20 minutes of action, before Emily Ashbaugh gave Wisconsin the halftime lead of 33-31 with her only bucket of the first half.
The Badger offense missed guards Kyle Black and Tamara Moore, who both spent long stretches of the first half on the bench with two fouls each. Moore and point guard Candas Smith each played the majority of the second half with four fouls, limiting their ability to defend Mazzante.
Stomski, who was the only Badger in double figures, recorded her 12th double-double of the season and is only one shy of tying the school record held by Theresa Huff.
Mazzante finished the game with a Penn State — and Big Ten Tournament-record nine three-point baskets. Guard Tanisha Wright contributed 13 points, while Jess Strom added 11 points and seven assists. Forward Rashana Barnes chipped in with eight points and seven rebounds.
