Karlis
Tom Lynn
69
Nebraska F-463
70
Winner Wisconsin F-796
Nebraska F-463
69
Final
70
Wisconsin F-796
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Nebraska F-463 14 25 12 18 69
Wisconsin F-796 8 19 22 21 70

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

UW wins in a comeback thriller

Wisconsin beats Nebraska, 70-69

MADISON, Wis. –  Despite being down by 14 points early in the third quarter, the Kohl Center crowd ignited the Wisconsin women's basketball team to a second-half comeback to win in a buzzer beater, 70-69.
 
Wisconsin (11-10, 2-7 BIG) tied the score up (67-67) with 1:01 left in the game but Nebraska used a late turnover with 17 seconds left on the clock to have a chance to take the lead. The Huskers Nicea Eliely drove the lane to score, giving Nebraska (9-10, 4-4) a 69-67 lead with 0.7 seconds to go.
 
After a UW time out, the Badgers set up the perfect play as sophomore Niya Beverley inbounded the ball to senior Kelly Karlis, who hit the game-winning 3- pointer as the buzzer sounded.
 
It was Karlis' only 3-pointer of the game and just the second for Wisconsin.
 
Nebraska controlled the first half of play, knocking down seven 3-pointers with four in the second quarter alone to pull away (39-27) at the half.
 
A 10-2 UW run over the first 3:32 of the third quarter would bring the Badgers within six (45-39) for the first time since the first quarter. Wisconsin came within two points (49-47) with 1:59 left in the third and trailed by only two (51-49) at the end of three.
 
UW turned up its defense in the third quarter, forcing eight Huskers turnovers and outrebounding the visitors 10-6.
 
Nebraska got its lead back up to 10 points twice in the fourth quarter, including at 67-57 with 4:18 to play before the Badgers began their comeback.
 
A 10-0 run tied the game at 67 with 1:01 remaining. A UW steal with 41 seconds on the clock looked like it would give Wisconsin a chance to take the lead but the turnover gave Nebraska the ball and the lead.
 
UW shot 48.2 percent (27-56) from the field, including 20 percent (2-10) from 3-point range, and a solid 70 percent (14-20) from the free-throw line.
 
Senior Marsha Howard led all players with a game-high 18 points and three blocks while sharing game-high honors with seven rebounds. Freshman Imani Lewis added 18 points and seven rebounds, and Beverley recorded 10 points and contributed five assists, and four steals.
 
Nebraska shot 44.3 percent (27-61) from the field, including 30.4 percent (7-23) from beyond the arc, and 88.9 percent (8-9) from the charity stripe.
 
Taylor Kissinger led the Cornhuskers with 15 points and Kate Cain added 14 points.
 
The Badgers recorded a season-high 13 steals and forced 18 Nebraska turnovers. Karlis tied her career best with four takeaways.
 
Wisconsin also outrebounded the Huskers 34-33.
 
 

Straight from the court

"Great day in the Kohl Center. I'm extremely proud, that was a great Big Ten basketball game. I thought our crowd was a huge plus for us and the mentality of moving on to the next play. Obviously, when another team scores with 0.7 seconds left, the biggest thing at the end was making sure we had a shot.
 
"I think for Kelly (Karlis) to keep her head up, to guard on the other end, to let it go and give us a chance, that's great screening action, that's a great pass from Niya Beverley.
 
"We were down by 12 at halftime, we challenged and were down seven from the glass, we ended up out-rebounding them and giving ourselves an opportunity. Niya Beverley made two huge plays in the last minute and a half to get us a chance to get it back even. Marsha (Howard) makes a giant block on what looked like a straight-line drive.
 
"I'm just proud because our kids are working and to see the end result with a Big Ten win, I couldn't be more proud. Unbelievable crowd today, our marketing department and especially to do this on National Girls & Women in Sports day. For these kids to see their role models out there, to play the game with the love and the highs and the lows."

    - Head coach Jonathan Tsipis 

"I honestly didn't know if we were going to have time to get the ball off. But as soon as I got the ball, I just threw it up with confidence and it went in. My teammates and coaches gave me the confidence to play until the last seconds – and that's what we did."

    - Senior Kelly Karlis 

"It really was just our guards digging in and wanting to get defensive rebounds, as well. Imani (Lewis) and I had big jobs, and that was to try and keep the big posts off the boards as much as possible. But when they have little guards that are just as big as me and Imani, it was difficult to keep them off the glass. But we changed some things around at halftime and came out knowing that we had to be better at it."

    -Senior Marsha Howard


Notes to know

  • Wisconsin's 14-point come-from-behind win is the fourth best in program history. The school record is two 20-point come-from-behind wins.

  • UW recorded a season-high 13 steals, including a career-high tying four from redshirt senior Kelly Karlis. Niya Beverley also had four steals.

  • Senior Marsha Howard tied her career best with three blocks.

  • The Badgers shot 48.2 percent (27-56) from the field, their third-highest shooting percentage of the season and their highest since shoot 50 percent vs. Purdue on Dec. 31.

  • UW shot 70 percent (14-20) from the free-throw line, its fourth time this season hitting 70 percent or better.
     

Up next

The Badgers head east to take on No. 11 Maryland (18-2, 7-2) on Thursday night. The game is set to tip off at 6 p.m. CT.
 
 
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