MADISON, Wis. – It was a sentimental night for the Wisconsin women's basketball team as the seniors stepped on to the Kohl Center court one last time. Seniors Marsha Howard, Kelly Karlis and Lexy Richardson stole the show despite UW dropping its final home game against Ohio State, 61-50, on Thursday night.
 
Seniors Marsha Howard and Kelly Karlis led the team with 15 points and 12 points, respectively, while both added two steals for the Badgers. Lexy Richardson also checked in to the game despite her knee injury to make her final appearance in the Kohl Center.
 
Sophomore Niya Beverley also scored in double figures, adding 11 points.
 
Howard (4-4), Karlis (2-2), and freshman Imani Lewis (3-3) all shot perfect from the free-throw line as Wisconsin shot a season-high 85.7 percent (12-14) from the charity stripe.
 
Lewis led the Badgers with nine rebounds but UW was outrebounded by the Buckeyes 41-32.
 
Wisconsin (13-16, 4-13 BIG) and Ohio State were both slow in scoring in the first quarter as the fast-paced game caused UW to turn the ball over seven times, leading to five points for the Buckeyes.
 
OSU (13-12, 9-7) took off in the second quarter, outscoring UW, 21-12, leading to an 18-point lead at the 8:32 mark in the third quarter (36-18). But the Badgers were able to bring it back within eight twice, including with 5:54 left in the third after a 10-0 UW run (36-28).
 
Wisconsin used a 9-0 run in the fourth quarter to rally within eight points of the Buckeyes (54-46) with 2:05 left to play but were forced to foul. OSU made five free throws in the last two minutes to seal the deal.
 
UW shot 34 percent (18-53) from the field, including 16.7 percent (2-12) from 3-point range.
 
Ohio State shot 39 percent (23-59) from the field, including 22.2 percent (4-18) from beyond the arc, and 73.3 percent (11-15) from the charity stripe.
 
The Badgers finished with 15 turnovers in the game as the Buckeyes scored 20 points off giveaways. OSU also outscored UW 32-20 in the paint.  
 
Carmen Grande led OSU with 17 points while Dorka Juhasz added 14 rebounds for the Badgers.
 

 

. @KarlisKelly is on 🔥🔥in the third quarter! She has 8 points to lead the Badger comeback! pic.twitter.com/ppCGNENVlf

— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerWBB) March 1, 2019

 
 
Notes to know 

• Senior Marsha Howard scored in double figures for her ninth straight game, leading the Badgers with 15 points. The 6-foot forward also added seven rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals.
   
• The Badgers shots a season-high 85.7 percent (12-14) from the free-throw line. Howard led the team with a perfect 4-4 from the charity stripe.
   
• Wisconsin wraps up its home season with a 10-6 record, its most home wins since going 12-5 in 2008-09.

 

Straight from the Court

"It's always an emotional time on senior night. I thought our emotions defensively helped us. We did a great job holding Ohio State to 20 percent in the first quarter, keep them off the line, make them shoot a bunch of threes and we were able to contest. We just didn't take care of the basketball.
 
"(In the third quarter) I thought we came out with a little bit more fire, but again I think that consistency of how we work is key. You have to give OSU credit as well. They made a huge three where we thought at worst we had the ball tied up. You work so hard each defensive possession to get a stop and then you have something like that happen. You look and say 20 points off turnovers and 9-to-6 on second-chance points, I'm not a math wiz but if you can even those out, you give yourself a chance."

    - Head coach Jonathan Tsipis 


"Like coach said, defensively we were able to hold them to 20 percent in the first quarter. But we haven't converted on the other end, which is what held us back in the first half. After that, just going out, trying to continue to cut the lead down and everyone digging in and wanting to get the job done, but we all can be better in different areas, as a whole. Once we fix that, we will be good."

    - Senior Marsha Howard 


"We just wanted to take advantage of them not as great defenders, so that's why our coaches kept telling me to drive and I wanted to win so that was a way to get some baskets in the hoop."

    - Senior Kelly Karlis



Up Next
The Badgers hit the road for the final game of the regular season against Michigan on Sunday. Game time is 1 p.m. CT from the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.