This time, effort wasn’t enough to pull out the win.

Facing the No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes (26-3, 14-2), the Wisconsin women’s basketball team (18-8, 8-7) struggled to complete several late comebacks en route to an 83-78 loss Thursday.

Despite turning the ball over only three more times than OSU (15-12), turnovers and missed opportunities by the Badgers allowed the Buckeyes to hold on to their lead throughout the second half.

“We’ve got to be tougher with the ball and work more together to get free,” Wisconsin head coach Lisa Stone said. “That says a lot about Ohio State’s defense, too. They’ve got some very quick hands out there.”

Complementing its quick hands, Ohio State relied on a viciously quick and aggressive defensive attack to consistently pressure Wisconsin. Despite jumping out to an 8-5 lead five minutes into the game, the Badgers allowed the Buckeyes to continually claw their way back.

With all seven lead changes occurring in the first half, UW ultimately saw a 30-28 lead with 2:14 remaining in the first half evaporate into a 37-32 halftime deficit. In that span, OSU converted three turnovers into six points.

“Momentum obviously shifted their direction,” Stone said of that crucial first half ending. “We had a lead, and it was just some things that we’ve got to get better at. We addressed that at halftime, and we did a better job. We had nine turnovers at the half and finished with 15.”

While turnover numbers were generally better in the second half, Stone’s squad continued to suffer from critical mistakes. Despite shooting 47.1 percent from the field, the Badgers blew several easy, open shots and layups. Senior guards Rae Lin D’Alie and Teah Gant combined for nine turnovers, while D’Alie missed some open looks as well.

An especially pivotal point was D’Alie’s blown layup with 46 seconds remaining in the game. Trailing 75-71, the 5-foot-3 guard received the inbounds pass after an OSU layup and sprinted down court for what looked like an easy layup opportunity. However, with Buckeye guards Samantha Prahalis and Brittany Johnson rearing down on her, D’Alie missed the layup and was fouled. Despite the shot at redemption, D’Alie missed the front end of the 1-and-1, giving Ohio State another chance to add to its lead.

“The Big Ten, they’re great teams,” Wisconsin junior guard Alyssa Karel said. “You look at the standings, (and) everyone’s right there, so you know that each night you’ve got to come to play. I think we give our best effort every night.”

Ohio State was up to the task of matching Wisconsin’s reputable energy levels. The Buckeyes won the points-off-turnovers battle 19-13, including 13 in the first half off of nine Badger turnovers.

On the offensive end, Wisconsin scored way above its season average of 60.4 points per game. However, Ohio State managed to get to the free-throw line 28 times — compared to merely eight for UW, all of which came in the second half. Sinking five for 62.5 percent, the Badgers finished below their season average of 67.2, second-worst in the Big Ten,

“We’ve got to keep them off the free-throw line,” Stone said. “In the first half, a number of their points came from the free-throw line. We’ve got to be more aggressive, offensively, to get to the line. We’ve got to foul and keep them off the line, bottom line. The disparity has nothing to do with officiating; it’s just the way the game went. It’s something we’ve got to adjust.”