UW women 53, Rutgers 41: Badgers hit their stride

MADISON - Avyanna Young scored 14 points to lead the Wisconsin women’s basketball team to a 53-41 victory over Rutgers on Saturday afternoon at the Kohl Center.

The win, the second straight home victory for the Badgers (7-20, 2-12 Big Ten), narrowed the gap in the Big Ten standings with Rutgers (6-21, 3-11), which is now just one game ahead of Wisconsin.

The Badgers held the Scarlet Knights to just 27.1% shooting (13 of 48) on the way to giving up the fewest points to a Wisconsin opponent since 2011.

After a turnover-plagued first quarter left Wisconsin down, 16-13, the Badgers closed the second quarter on a 10-0 run to take a 23-18 lead at halftime.

Rutgers — Barber 2-12 1-2 5, Harris 3-4 5-6 11, Jeune 0-3 0-0 0, Parker 5-16 4-4 16, Sanders 1-6 2-2 4, Keeling 0-0 0-2 0, Wallace 0-1 0-0 0, Rollins 2-6 0-0 5, Williams 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 13-48 12-16 41.

Wisconsin — Fredrickson 2-8 0-0 5, Howard 0-2 1-2 1, Young 3-4 8-11 14, McMorris 2-7 6-6 10, Van Leeuwen 2-3 1-2 7, Johnson 1-2 2-2 4, Gilreath 2-7 0-0 6, Kelsick 0-0 3-4 3, Marble 1-3 0-0 3. Totals 13-36 21-27 53.

Rutgers 16 2 15 8 — 41
Wisconsin 13 10 12 18 — 53

Three-point goals — Rutgers 3-10 (Jeune 0-2, Parker 2-4, Sanders 0-1, Rollins 1-3), Wisconsin 6-16 (Fredrickson 1-3, McMorris 0-1, Van Leeuwen 2-3, Gilreath 2-7, Marble 1-2). Assists — Rutgers 4 (Parker 2), Wisconsin 9 (Howard 2). Fouled out — Rutgers Harris, Rebounds — Rutgers 32 (Harris 7), Wisconsin 29 (Young 6). Total fouls — Rutgers 23, Wisconsin 15.

A — 6,680.