Junior Serah Williams finished with 20 points and 17 rebounds for the Badgers, who lost, 80-69, to the Buckeyes Thursday night.

Junior Serah Williams finished with 20 points and 17 rebounds for the Badgers in an 80-69 loss to the Buckeyes Thursday night at the Kohl Center..

Ohio State women's basketball limited turnovers and played tough defense at Wisconsin. The Buckeyes are now 17-0.

The Badgers' second straight push against a top-10 team petered out against the undefeated Buckeyes. Here's what stood out.

Mar 26, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Jake Diebler motions to his team during the first half of the NIT quarterfinals against the Georgia Bulldogs at Value City Arena. Credit: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch-USA TODAY NETWORK

In a back-and-forth contest where neither team could cut into or extend the lead, carelessness with the basketball proved to be the difference maker. No. 9 Ohio State (17-0, 6-0 Big Ten) fought off multiple strong pushes from Wisconsin (10-8,

The Badgers had to battle through shooting struggles after a hot start Tuesday night, but they managed enough to hold on for their sixth straight win.

Rating metrics hold their optimistic outlook for the Badgers after its win over a highly-ranked Buckeyes team. Wisconsin remains in the Big Ten’s top tier in both KenPom and ESPN BPI: KenPom: No. 21 overall (same ranking as it held after the Minnesota win) and No. 5 in the Big Ten, with the No. 12 offense and No. 50 defense in the country.

Wisconsin visits Nebraska after Serah Williams scored 20 points in Wisconsin's 80-69 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Cornhuskers are 11-0 in home games. Nebraska is eighth in the Big Ten with 11.

No. 9 Ohio State faces Wisconsin after Taylor Thierry scored 20 points in Ohio State's 69-60 win against the Oregon Ducks. The Badgers are 7-2 in home games. Wisconsin is 3-2 when it has fewer turnovers than its opponents and averages 13.

A lot of it is a result of personnel, and Wisconsin has one of the best free throw shooters in the nation. Graduate guard John Tonje made 10 of 10 at the line Tuesday. In that game against the Wildcats earlier this season, he scored 21 of his 41 on 21-of-22 shooting at the free throw stripe.