 | | |  | Wisconsin 62, Penn State56
Bryce Jordan Center ? University Park, Pa. ? Attendance: 9,270
Box Score | Box Score  |  | |
| | 1st | 2nd | Final | Wisconsin
| 36 | 26 | 62 | Penn State
| 26 | 30 | 56 | | | Statistical Leaders | | ? Nicole Bauman: 22 Pts, 2 Reb, 3 Ast, 2 Stl, 8-13 FG | | ? Tessa Cichy: 19 Pts, 6 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 6-15 FG | | ? Cassie Rochel: 4 Pts, 10 Reb, 3 Blk 2-6 FG | | Stats at a Glance
| WIS | UM | | FG Percentage | .423 | .375 | | 3-Point FG Percentage | .412 | .143 | | FT Percentage | .688 | .538 | | Offensive Rebounds | 8 | 22 | | Defensive Rebounds | 22 | 25 | | Total Rebounds | 30 | 47 | | Turnovers | 9 | 16 | | Assists | 10 | 12 | | Steals | 7 | 5 | | |
Mar. 1, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Wisconsin women's basketball team (9-19, 5-13 Big Ten) ended its six-game losing streak, defeating Penn State 62-56 on Sunday to secure a No. 11 seed in the Big Ten tournament, where they'll face No. 14 seed Purdue on Wednesday.
| Fast Facts | | ? Badgerstied their season-low nine turnovers against Penn State | | ? Nicole Bauman had a game-high 22 points and scored 6-of-9 three-pointers | | ? Wisconsin earned the 11th seed in the Big Ten Tournament and play Purdue on Wednesday night | |
"We're very happy for the win. We're very grateful," UW head coach Bobbie Kelsey said.
Propelled by Nicole Bauman's game-high 22 points and a hot first half, UW gained a 10-point lead at halftime shooting 55.6 percent (15-27). Shaking off a rocky second half, UW ended the game shooting 42.3 percent from the field compared to the Lions' (6-23, 3-15 Big Ten) 37.5 shooting.
"We shot the lights out in the first half, but in the second half our shots went back to Madison," Kelsey said.
Bauman and Tessa Cichy scored in double digits and led all scorers, contributing 22 and 19 points, respectively. Cichy was just one point short from tying her career-high of 20 points. Missing only three shots, Bauman was 6-for-9 from behind the arc and 8-for-13 overall.
"(Her shooting percentage today), that's a credit to her and her work. It's almost like she's playing a real game every time she's on the floor," Kelsey said. "The same shot the fans are watching, she does that in practice."
Cichy was on point from the charity strip, making 7-of-8, bringing UW to a 68.8 free throw percentage (11-16), while Penn State converted just 53.8 percent (7-13).
Despite leading in almost every aspect of the game, including tying a season low nine turnovers compared to Penn State's 16, the Badgers couldn't stop the Lady Lions off the glass. Penn State dominated 47-to-30 in rebounds, 22 of those being offensive boards compared to UW's eight.
After leading by only two points with 11:36 left in the first half, the Badgers picked up steam going on a 13-4 run fueled by a bomb from Bauman that put UW ahead by eight (22-14). Some back-and-forth scoring halted the Badgers' momentum, but they quickly gained it back earning their largest lead of the game at 16 points (36-20) after Jacki Gulzynski put one in from deep with 1:35 left in the first.
Wisconsin led 36-26 at half, making them 8-4 this season when they hold the lead going into the locker rooms.
Penn State opened the second half on an 11-2 run, bringing things back to a one-point game (38-37) with 14:37 left. The Lady Lions held the Badgers' lead to just six before tying the game (45-45) with 9:27 left.
Wisconsin held at least a six-point cushion over the final 3:44 of the game. Cichy scored five of the last nine points of the game for the Badgers, three of which were free throws.
The Badgers turn next to the Big Ten Tournament where they'll face Purdue at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
