Wisconsin came into Sunday's game 1.5 games ahead of the 16th-placed Purdue Boilermakers with three games on the schedule. Between the two teams stood Northwestern, making the contest carry even more weight.
"We knew coming in this game was going to be big for us" Natalie Leuzinger said. "We still have some goals that we want to accomplish... getting into the (Big 10) tournament is one of those goals."
Leuzinger is joined by Halle Douglass and Tess Myers in the Badgers senior class, which was honored pre-game as part of Wisconsin's Senior Day activities. While Douglass flashed early and Myers stepped up late, it was sophomore forward Carter McCray who stole the show.
McCray totaled 22 points and 11 rebounds (six offensive) on 9-of-15 shooting in 25 minutes of action before fouling out. Her 22 points were a season high.
"She's a phenomenal rebounder," Marisa Moseley said. "We talked (pregame) about sending the seniors out on top.... she really took that to heart."
What's especially impressive of McCray's performance is she did it while coming off the bench, as Douglass stepped into the starting lineup for the first time this year as part of Sunday's senior festivities.
McCray wasn't the only player to find success in the painted area, as Serah Willimas totaled 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and three blocks before fouling out with one minute left. As a whole, it was a successful day from the Badgers offense, as they tallied 22 assists on 28 made baskets.
"It's beautiful basketball," Moseley said of the team's ball movement before noting how difficult it is for opponents to guard when the ball is moving like it did Sunday.
The win marked Wisconsin's first time winning consecutive games since Dec. 20 and all but guarantees them a spot in the Big 10 Tournament.
Here are my immediate reactions to the 73-68 win.
Offense starts hot
Wisconsin scored 75 points for the second time in conference play last time out, and the offense carried its momentum over into Sunday's contest.
They got persistent pressure on the interior early, as the trio of Williams, Douglass and McCray combined to score 13 of Wisconsin's first 15 points. Yet, there was production across the board. Seven of the Badgers' nine first-quarter points came off assists, a true showcase of the connectivity and speed with which they played.
Northwestern matched Wisconsin's scoring early in the first period, but the Badgers pulled away late in the quarter, ending the frame on an 8-2 run to claim a 23-18 advantage.
Wildcats claw back
Wisconsin held Northwestern to one made field goal in the final four-plus minutes of the first quarter. The Wildcats had no difficulty scoring early in the second, erupting for seven straight points in the span of 45 seconds to knot it up at 25-all.
Luckily for the Badgers, Northwestern's hot streak didn't expand past seven points, as the game settled into a back-and-forth affair.
After scoring seven points in the first quarter, McCray continued to go to work offensively. She accounted for eight of Wisconsin's 12 second-quarter points.
Northwestern held the lead for the final three minutes of the second period before Ronnie Porter launched a full-court pass to Douglass on the fast break for a go-ahead lay-up with four seconds remaining.
Badgers hit stride, pull away
There was minimal shot-making to start the third period, as the two teams combined to go 2-for-17 from the field for a total of six points.
McCray provided the Badgers' lone basket during the first five minutes of the period, but committed her third personal foul on the very next possession, sending her to the bench.
Wisconsin's offense suddenly awoke coming out of the under-five media timeout. It went on a 6-0 run capped off by a fastbreak corner three from Lily Krahn which prompted a Wildcat timeout.
The pause didn't aid Northwestern in slowing down Wisconsin's offense, as it scored on the next five possessions to claim a 10-point lead entering the fourth quarter.
Northwestern turned to a full-court press to start the final period. The pressure got to the Badgers early, and a three-minute scoring drought opened the door for the Wildcats.
The once-10-point lead slimmed to just three with fewer than six minutes to play before Wisconsin's sharpshooters turned it on.
Myers -- who was previously scoreless -- and Krahn knocked down three-pointers from the same corner on back-to-back possessions, and Myers would hit two more triples over the next handful of possessions.
However, it wasn't Myers' offense that stood out most to Moseley down the stretch. Instead it was a play Myers made in transition as a defender, fitting herself between two Wildcats in a two-on-one scenario and preventing a shot attempt until the rest of Wisconsin's defense recovered and eventually forced a turnover.
"That's a small thing, but to me, those are the type of plays that win games," Moseley said.
Just two possessions later, Myers would drill a three-pointer to extend the lead to eight with under three minutes to play and set up the Badgers for the victory.
What's next
Wisconsin will welcome No. 3 UCLA to the Kohl Center for a 7:00 pm game to be broadcast on Peacock.