The University of Wisconsin women’s basketball team (8-18, 3-11 Big Ten) completed their regular season sweep against Minnesota (9-16, 2-12), defeating the Gophers 76-70 in overtime Saturday in Minneapolis.
This was a crucial victory for the Badgers, who have lost four straight conference matches over the last two weeks. This victory against the Golden Gophers also marks the first Border Battle sweep for Wisconsin since the 2010-2011 season.
Minnesota jumped out to a 7-0 run early in the first quarter, but the Badgers battled back to secure a slim 19-17 lead after 10 minutes of play. UW head coach Marisa Moseley’s squad was led by junior Brooke Schramek, who scored eight points in the first quarter. She shot 2-for-4 from the field and made all three free throw attempts in that span.
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Both teams fought a back-and-forth battle in an attempt to take the lead in halftime. Gophers head coach Lindsay Whalen’s squad began the second quarter with a 6-0 run to regain the lead. The Gophers were led by freshman Mara Braun who led all scorers through halftime with 13 points. Minnesota was able to maintain the lead throughout the second quarter and went into the locker room up one point.
Minnesota’s stifling defense in the first half was effective in keeping Wisconsin along the perimeter. The Badgers attempted 13 3-point attempts at halftime, only making three from behind the arc in that span. The Golden Gophers maintained a strong defensive presence in the paint, double-teaming UW forward Serah Williams to force the cardinal and white to vary shot selection. Minnesota held Williams, who had scored in double figures in her last nine straight contests, to only one shot attempt in the first half.
Aggressive defense by both teams led to 18 total fouls called in the first half. Wisconsin, who has shot a consistent 75.7% from the charity stripe all year, shot 9-for-10 from the line while Minnesota made 6-for-8 free throws in the first half.
The defensive back-and-forth showdown continued out of the locker room, propelling both teams to only score 23 total points in the third quarter. Both teams struggled to find any momentum on offense, but the Gophers finished the period on a 5-0 run to lead 48-44 heading into the final 10 minutes.
Moseley’s squad found its stride on offense, going 8-for-15 in field goals and 3-for-5 in 3-pointers in the final quarter. The Badgers battled back from a four-point deficit to tie the game with 39 seconds remaining.
Wisconsin fouled Minnesota forward Mallory Heyer immediately after, and she converted both of her free throw attempts. UW senior Julie Pospisilova made a layup with 30 seconds remaining to tie the game once again. Minnesota was unable to score on the final possession, sending both teams into overtime at 65-65.
Wisconsin’s momentum continued through the overtime period, outscoring the Gophers 11-5 in overtime to win 76-70.
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Wisconsin’s comeback was largely due to clean offensive play in the second half. The Badgers, who average nearly 18 turnovers a game, found themselves on the right side of turnovers against Minnesota — the Gophers committed 24 total turnovers in the contest, which the cardinal and white were able to convert for 26 points.
Wisconsin was led by Pospisilova, who finished the game with 22 points off 9-for-19 from the field. Schramek turned in an impressive all-around performance, scoring a season-high 20 points and grabbing a team-high six rebounds in the contest. Guard Maty Wilke rounded out the Badger’s double-digit scorers with 11 points.
Minnesota was led by Heyer, who led her team with a dominant double-double performance of 28 points and 15 rebounds. Heyer scored 20 of her 28 total points in the second half, and scored 14 of Minnesota’s 17 points in the fourth quarter. Braun, who led all-scorers at halftime with 13 points, finished the game with 15 points. Freshman Amaya Battle rounded out Minnesota’s double-digit scores with 10 points.
Wisconsin will travel to the Carver–Hawkeye Arena to face No. 5 Iowa Wednesday, Feb. 15.
