MINNEAPOLIS — St. Paul native Alyssa Karel hit a six-footer with two seconds remaining to lift Wisconsin to a 76-74 win over Minnesota in double overtime.
The junior guard finished with 18 points. Kiara Buford led four Golden Gophers in double figures with 17 points.
Minnesota (11-11, 4-7) had a chance at the winning basket in the second overtime after a defensive rebound by Ashley Ellis-Milan with 23 seconds left. After a timeout, senior Brittany McCoy looked to get the ball to Ellis-Milan in the post. McCoy’s pass was batted away by Lin Zastrow, leading to the shot by Karel.
Elgin-Millville grade Katie Ohm had three points on 1-of-2 shooting and one rebound in 14 minutes.
Initially, both teams had trouble scoring. The Gophers shot 17.9 percent in the first half. The Badgers (17-6, 7-5) shot only 5-11 from the free throw line. Minnesota and Wisconsin had ten and nine turnovers, respectively. Wisconsin led 27-19 at the break.
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The Badgers kept a lead of at least four for most of the second half. Buford’s 11 second-half points helped keep the Gophers close. Then McCoy scored to cut the lead to two with 55 seconds remaining in regulation. Senior guard Rae Lin D’Alie was fouled and made one free throw to put the Badgers up three. Then Gophers junior guard China Antoine hit a three at the buzzer to send it to overtime.
The Gophers scored first in overtime, but never built a lead of more than two. Up two with under 20 seconds remaining, Minnesota set up a press, which Wisconsin broke for an Anya Covington lay-up to tie the game. Covington then blocked Buford’s shot to send the game to a second overtime.
Gophers sophomore Jackie Voigt had her second double-double of the season, with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Along with Buford and Voigt, McCoy (16) and Antoine (10) scored in double figures. Ellis-Milan scored all seven of her points in the second overtime.
D’Alie led the Badgers with 20 points.
