Something had to give Saturday.
Three of Wisconsin's last four losses had come by seven or fewer points, while three of Northwestern's last five losses came by just five or fewer. But at Welsh-Ryan Arena, it was the Wildcats who stopped the bleeding, pulling out a late-game comeback to top the Badgers 54-52.
Aided by a couple of late threes from freshman Maggie Lyon, Northwestern (13-14, 5-9) erased a 10-point deficit, sending Wisconsin (11-16, 3-11) home reeling with another close defeat. Lyon was one of two 'Cats to score 13 on the day, with senior forward Kendall Hackey matching the mark in her program-best game.
Both teams started Saturday cold as ice, shooting a combined 0-for-10 from the field until Wisconsin senior Tiera Stephen opened scoring with a jumper. Northwestern responded with threes from Lyon and Hackney, scoring on four straight possessions to go up 10-5.
Then the Badgers went on a 7-0 tear, enteirng the lane at will for layups and pull-up jumpers. Wisconsin found success in transition, often shooting fewer than 10 seconds into a possession, and the Wildcats were not getting through screens. The bleeding was halted by Wisconsin's perimeter woes, as the worst three-point shooting team in the conference went just 2-for-7 from long range in the first half.
After five minutes without scoring and a 24-14 deficit, the 'Cats finally found the bucket when sophomore guard Karly Roser drove in for a layup. Both teams went back and forth, getting into the lane for high percentage shots, until Hackney hit her third three of the first half to make it 28-21.
Just moments later, Wisconsin center Cassie Rochel tweaked her ankle and was forced to leave the game. Northwestern took advantage, dishing down to senior center Danielle Diamant, who drew a foul and hit two free throws. Hackney went down low on the next possession, hitting a jumper and cutting the deficit to just 28-25.
Wisconsin's Jackie Gulczynski hit a three, but Roser raced down the floor to hit a jumper at the buzzer and send Northwestern into the locker room down just 31-27. It was a fortunate scoreline for the Wildcats, who shot just 36 percent from the field in the half.
Rochel was back on the floor for the start of the second half, and Northwestern could no longer have their way in the paint. Both teams began the second half as sloppily as the first, with a combined six turnovers in the first three minutes.
The Wildcats would later go on a quick 4-0 run to tie things up at 33. Roser then put in four straight points, but Wisconsin freshman Nicole Bauman answered with a pair of threes.
The back and forth battle continued until a layup from Wildcat freshman forward Lauren Douglas tied the game at 43. Then, the worst offensive struggle of the day began.
Neither team scored for nearly four minutes. There were plenty of turnovers, blocks and bricks, but no buckets until Diamant grabbed an offensive board and put in a layup. The Badgers still couldn’t hit a field goal, but they knocked in five of their next six free throws to go up 48-45.
With just over three minutes to go, Lyon took over. The potential Big Ten Freshman of the Year knocked down a three to tie it up, and several possessions later, she hit another one to put the 'Cats up 53-52.
Looking to increase the lead, Diamant backed down against Rochel and drew the Badger center’s fifth foul, sending her to the bench. Diamant split the pair, putting Northwestern up 54-52 with just 36 seconds remaining.
After a Wisconsin timeout, Lyon poked the inbound pass away and sprinted downcourt, but her layup rimmed out. The Badgers took it back to the other end, and Gulczynski tried to drive in for the layup. As she tried to get around Roser, she tripped and fell, and her desperate toss clanged off the backboard. Though she grabbed the offensive rebound, she couldn’t put it back up before the buzzer sounded.
The Wildcats, who have struggled to finish close games, were finally able to pull one out. Roser was a major factor, filling up the stat sheet with eight points, nine assists and nine rebounds.
Wisconsin, which has been hampered by turnovers all season, coughed it up 18 times on the afternoon. Lyon led the defensive charge with three steals.
Northwestern will look to finish the regular season strong as they head to Ann Arbor Thursday to take on Michigan.