Jayhawks Defeat Lady Badgers in Overtime

Despite winning two of their first three games of the season their was something missing on the court for the Lady Badgers. Or should we say someone.

Mainly senior guard and leading scorer Alyssa Karel who missed the first three games due to a knee injury. On Sunday Karel was back, and the timing could not have been better with a dangerous Kansas team coming to the Kohl Center.

Karel struck quickly in her return with six of Wisconsin's first nine points from the field. Not to mention six of her game high 27 points. Propelling the Lady Badgers to an early 26-19 lead over the Lady Jayhawks. A lead that would be erased later in the first half.

Kansas would run off 11 unanswered points that would stretch their lead to 30-26 with just over a minute left until halftime. Junior forward Anya Kovington would end the Jayhawk run with a jumper, and the Badgers would rally to lead Kansas 31-30 at halftime.

The Jayhawks would run out to the largest lead of the game at 57-46 midway through the second half, but the Lady Badgers would again answer the call.

Wisconsin would chip away at the Kansas lead until with 1:01 left in the game when redshirt senior Emily Neal nailed a three pointer. Then connected on a free throw for the elusive four point play giving the Badgers a 77-75 lead.

The ladies from Lawrence, Kan. would make two late free throws to tie the game up at the end of regulation pushing the game to overtime. When the Lady Jayhawks would pull away from the Badgers. Outscoring the Badgers 16-9 in the extra session Kansas would go on to win 93-86 in the inaugural game of the Big Ten/Big XII Women's Basketball Challenge.