MADISON, Wis. – A back-and-forth game ended with an electric fourth-quarter comeback for the Badgers as the Wisconsin women’s basketball team (11-4, 3-1 B1G) defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions (7-8, 0-4 B1G), 74-73, on Sunday afternoon at the Kohl Center to extend its home win streak to nine games.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kyrah Daniels<\/a> led all scorers with 20 points, shooting 8-for-16 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line, while Destiny Howell<\/a> added 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Breauna Ware<\/a> also had a strong performance with 12 points, including going 2-for-3 from the three-point line.<\/p>\n How it happened In the first quarter, both teams traded baskets until it was tied 16-16 with 1:47 left, before the Badgers went on a 4-0 run to end the opening frame. The Badgers extended their lead to eight unanswered points at the start of the second quarter to lead 24-16, before Penn State got on the board for the first time 1:16 into the second. Wisconsin continued to push offensively, outscoring PSU 6-2 over 30 seconds to extend the score to a 30-20 Badger advantage.<\/p>\n Midway through the second quarter, the Nittany Lions went on an eight-point run of their own to close the gap, before closing the half with a 6-0 run to make it a two-point game heading into halftime.<\/p>\n The game remained a back-and-forth affair early in the third quarter, with Breauna Ware<\/a> making Wisconsin’s first three-point basket of the game, 5:01 into the frame, to make it a 51-46 game in favor of UW. In the final five minutes of the quarter, the Nittany Lions outscored the Badgers 17-9 to take a 63-55 lead ahead of the final frame.<\/p>\n Wisconsin battled back in the fourth, chipping away at Penn State’s lead while only allowing the Nittany Lions to record three points in the first eighty minutes of the quarter. A 12-0 run from the Badgers began 3:14 into the quarter and ended with 1:12 left of game time as UW battled from down, 66-59, to pull forward and lead, 71-66.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n This step-back three is today’s ATC Smart Play of the Game!@ATCgrid<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/rwaxkUCder<\/a><\/p>\n
As a team, Wisconsin shot 47% from the field (29-62), 18% from beyond the arc (3-17) and 87% from the free throw line (13-15).\u00a0<\/p>\n Penn State shot 48% (27-56) from the field, 35% from beyond the arc (7-20) and 75% from the free throw line (12-16).<\/p>\n Notes to Know
\nUp Next Buy Tickets – $1+<\/a><\/p>\n Postgame Media Conference: Highlights:
\nThe game opened with a high-scoring, back-and-forth first half, as UW entered halftime with a 40-38 advantage over the Nittany Lions. Wisconsin’s 40 points are the second most it has scored in a half this season, and Kyrah Daniels<\/a> led the charge with 10 points in the first 20 minutes \u2013 her fourth game in a row reaching double-figure points.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\u2014 Wisconsin Women’s Basketball (@BadgerWBB) January 5, 2026<\/a>
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\nThe final minute of game time was tense, as Penn State pulled to a three-point deficit before Kyrah Daniels<\/a> padded Wisconsin’s lead. In a thrilling final 14 seconds of the contest, Penn State made a layup, before UW added a free throw to make the score 74-70. With two seconds remaining, the Nittany Lions made a three-pointer, but were unable to recover the ball to take one more shot and try and take the lead as UW won, 74-73.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\n\tThe Badgers outscored the Nittany Lions in points in the paint, 42-34
\n\tFour Badgers reached double digits, with Daniels leading the way in her second straight 20-point game
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\nWisconsin will host Purdue on Thursday, Jan. 8, at 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will air on B1G+.<\/p>\n
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