MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin women's basketball team (11-11, 4-8 B1G) defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions (16-8, 7-6), 69-64, on Sunday, Feb. 11 inside the Kohl Center. The Badgers trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half but overcame the deficit to claim the win. 

The Badgers' scoring was initiated by senior Natalie Leuzinger as she drained a deep three to get the team going. Williams followed shortly with a layup and was succeeded by Leuzinger once again, who notched a crafty shot from beneath the rim. The game was aggressive early on, with both teams diving to the ground to collect loose balls and shift the possession arrow in their favor. Williams added some additional offense by shooting a three from the top of the arc, her seventh of the season. Neither team controlled the ball particularly well, with Wisconsin and Penn State committing seven turnovers apiece, but PSU held the advantage after the first ten minutes, up 25-12.

The second-quarter scoring for Wisconsin was kicked off by Sania Copeland who scored a jumper, followed by Brooke Scrhamek who secured a second-chance field goal. Copeland, who was putting on yet another gritty defensive performance, carved out another jumper and followed up with a layup just moments later. Ronnie Porter and Tessa Grady each got a piece of the action in the final five minutes, with Porter driving down the lane and Grady notching her signature corner three. The offense was more evenly matched in the second quarter, with Penn State outscoring Wisconsin by just one point, 15-14. The Badgers trailed heading into the locker room, 40-26. 

Wisconsin came out of the locker room fired up, draining four shots in the first 2:58 and limiting Penn State to none. The early second-half scoring came from Williams, Copeland, and Natalie Leuzinger and pushed Wisconsin to a 6-1 run, forcing Penn State to call a timeout. The Badgers were unphased by their opponent's attempt to cool them down and instead, they continued to drain even more shots. Wisconsin overcame a 14-point halftime deficit and went on a 17-2 run to take the lead, 43-42. Amidst the scoring run, Williams reeled in her tenth rebound of the contest, which brought her ninth consecutive double-double, amounting to the most consecutive double-doubles in program history. Wisconsin held Penn State to just seven points this quarter and led 50-47 with ten minutes remaining. 

The fourth quarter was electric, with both teams fighting to get shots to land. Wisconsin struck first, with Douglass sinking her second three-pointer of the game and Williams adding her 21st point. Shortly after, Penn State put together a 7-0 run to tie the game at 57-all, but Williams took it upon herself to get the Badgers back on track. The sophomore led the Badgers on a 5-0 run to put them ahead, 65-60, with 1:59 remaining on the clock. Wisconsin's last seven points were all courtesy of free throws and was just enough to land them the victory. 

Wisconsin shot 44.6% (25-56) from the field range and 33.3% (5-15) from the 3-point range. The Badgers shot 73.7% (14-19) from the free-throw line. UW led in rebounds, 38-33, and assists, 15-9. 

Penn State shot 38.3% (23-60) from field-goal range, including 28.6% (8-28) from behind the arc. The Nittany Lions were 55.6% (10-18). This was the fewst points Penn State has scored in a game this season.  

Notes to know

• With a 31-point and 15-rebound double-double, Serah Williams earned the title of the most consecutive double-doubles in Badger history with nine. Williams surpassed Theresa Huff who set the previous record of eight exactly 41 years ago on Feb. 11, 1983.

• Wisconsin outscored Penn State 24-7 in the third quarter to erase a 14-point halftime deficit. The Badgers held the Nittany Lions without a field goal for the first 5:28 of the quarter and led at its conclusion, 50-47.

• Ronnie Porter tied her career-high in steals with five.

• Wisconsin outscored Penn State in the paint, 30-20. 

• Wisconsin's 7-5 record in the Kohl Center this season is Wisconsin's best home record since the 2019-20 season. 

• Serah Williams tied both her career-high in points with 31 and rebounds with 15.

Up next

Wisconsin continues to play at home as it hosts No. 14 Indiana Wednesday, Feb. 13. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and the game can be streamed on Peacock or listened to on 1070 WTSO-AM.