INDIANAPOLIS – It was a difference of two halves as the Wisconsin women's basketball season came to end with a 70-63 loss to Michigan State in the second round of the Big Ten Conference Tournament.

After leading 37-30 at the half, the 11^th-seeded Badgers were outscored by the sixth-seeded Spartans 40-26 in the second half.

Wisconsin ends its first season under head coach Jonathan Tsipis 9-22.

Leading 12-11 at the end of the first quarter, junior Cayla McMorris scored seven points as UW outscored MSU 23-17 in the second period. The Badgers scored the last seven points of the period, capped off by and old-fashioned three-point play by McMorris with 40 seconds remaining.

Wisconsin led 39-32 less than a minute into the third quarter before the Spartans (20-10) rallied, going on a 10-3 run to tie the score at 42 with 6:24 to play in the period. The Spartans led 54-50 at the end of the quarter as MSU's Tori Jankoska scored 11 points.

A layup by McMorris keyed a 4-0 run to open the fourth quarter and knotted the score for the eighth time in the game at 54 with 8:21 to play. A Kendall Shaw layup with 7:16 left tied the score at 56 with 7:16 on the clock but a 6-0 Michigan State run made it 62-56 with 6:06 remaining. The Badgers would cut it to two (62-60) with 3:44 to play on a layup by Avyanna Young but would get no closer.

They Said It
"I think that game is reflective for 35 minutes of what we've been able to grow, not just since the last time we played Michigan State on Jan. 24, but throughout the season. And I'm really proud of our group. To be able to come back, having the game yesterday and again the first half I thought we did a phenomenal job attacking. In the second half, I thought Michigan State stepped to another level and challenged us on the glass and we weren't able to respond the way I would have liked. But it wasn't anything to do with an effort or a competitiveness with our kids.

"I'll tell you what, tonight, our kids, as soon as we met last night and started talking about it, it was great to see that belief that they were going to execute things today to put us in a position to be successful. And that's what you want a group to have that belief every time they step on the floor. And if they don't accomplish that, that itself drives you no matter what you're doing."
 - Head coach Jonathan Tsipis

"The improvement is definitely growth in myself and with the team and just being able to grow as a person, and I thank Wisconsin for being patient through all my ups and downs and how everything happened. And I'm just happy that I was able to finish with the team and coach and everybody."
 - Redshirt senior Avyanna Young

Good to Know

• The Badgers recorded only 14 turnovers, the fewest since having 14 vs. Michigan on Jan. 1.
• Wisconsin outscored Michigan State 40-30 in the paint.
• Redshirt senior Avyanna Young ended her career with 1,062 points and 789 rebounds.
• Sophomore Marsha Howard played a career-high 37 minutes.
• Redshirt senior Kendall Shaw was a perfect 3-3 from the field and shot 3-4 from the free-throw line.
• UW loses seniors Taylor Kuhn and Young to graduation.