Lincoln -- Jessie Stomski's 24 points led five Badgers in double figures as Wisconsin upset No. 24 Nebraska, 92-85, in the championship game of the Time Warner Cable Classic Sunday afternoon at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
Stomski, who earned tournament MVP honors after scoring 39 points and pulling down 20 rebounds in the two wins, scored six of her 24 points in overtime as the Badgers (2-0) ended Nebraska's four-year championship run. It was only the third time in the tournament's 13-year history that an opposing team had captured the tournament title.
The Badgers, who scored the first seven points in the extra session, held off the Huskers with clutch free throw shooting, converting 15-of-18 in overtime, as the Huskers were never able to overcome UW's 7-0 spurt to start overtime. Wisconsin has now won six of its last seven overtime contests dating back to the start of the 1998-99 season.
In addition to Stomski, Tamara Moore came off the bench to finish with 18 points, five steals and five rebounds. Kelley Paulus and LaTonya Sims added 17 and 14 points, respectively in the win.
The Huskers, behind a career-high 25-point performance from senior guard Brooke Schwartz, erased an eight-point deficit with 5:33 remaining. Schwartz, whose previous career best was 24 points against Kansas last season, triggered an 8-0 Husker run with a 3-pointer and a three-point play before Charlie Rogers' layup tied the score at 58-all. Rogers was 7-of-12 from the floor and added a team-high 10 rebounds in the loss.
The Badgers, who did not trail in the second half or overtime, led 68-64 with 41 seconds left in regulation, but a pair of free throws by Nicole Kubik, who finished with 16 points and nine assists, cut the lead to 68-66 with 34 seconds left. On UW's next possession, Kubik recorded one of her two steals and found Casey Leonhardt, who finished with 10 points, for a layup to tie the score at 68-all.
With 12.8 seconds remaining, Wisconsin had a chance to win in regulation, but Moore's 3-pointer from 25 feet was off the mark, sending the game into overtime for the first time in the tournament's 13-year history.
"We kept battling, and we made a great comeback in the second half to send it into overtime," Nebraska Head Coach Paul Sanderford said. "You hate to lose to a Big Ten team in our building, but we can learn from this. We learned that we need to develop a backup point guard. We have other areas to improve in, too. I felt like the kids played hard, but we were completely taken out of it offensively in the first half."
In the consolation game, Melaniece Bardley's 17 points and 14 rebounds led Southern Illinois (1-1) to a 63-58 victory over Georgia Southern. Danna Simpson led Georgia Southern (0-2) with 18 points and 10 rebounds, but also had 11 turnovers as the Golden Eagles committed 28 turnovers and shot 39 percent from the floor. Southern Illinois shot just 31 percent from the floor, but only committed 16 turnovers and outrebounded the Eagles, 48-43.
Simpson and Bardley joined Paulus, Rogers and Schwartz on the all-tournament team selected by the media. Stomski earned tournament most valuable player honors.
The Huskers return to action this Friday, Nov. 26, as Nebraska travels to Missoula, Mont., to battle Montana at 8:05 p.m. Central time. The Huskers return to the Devaney Center to take on Drake on Dec. 2, at 7:05 p.m.