Four straight Big Ten Wins have Minnesota to their best seventeen game start in program history
The Minnesota Golden Gophers women’s basketball team keeps racking up the wins against the weaker teams in the conference—exactly what they need to do. The Gophers moved to 4-1 in Big Ten play by defeating the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at the Barn 76-50 on Wednesday night. Minnesota is now 16-1 to start the season, the best 17-game start to the season in program history.
Minnesota jumped out right from the start. After falling behind 2-0, the Gophers would go on an 8-0 run, and then add to their lead. Minnesota scored 10 of their 19 points in the first quarter in the paint and took a 19-11 lead after the first ten minutes.
The second quarter was even more dominant. Minnesota and Rutgers traded baskets before the Gophers went on another 8-0 run midway through the quarter to double-up the Scarlet Knights 34-17. Minnesota would advance that lead to 18, taking a 41- 23 lead into the halftime break.
The third quarter was again where Minnesota faltered a bit, but this time just kept the game even instead of falling back like they did last Sunday against Illinois. The teams each scored 14 points in the third and the Gophers kept an 18-point lead headed into the final ten minutes of the game.
Minnesota opened with a 6-0 run to start the fourth, and kept adding onto their lead stretching it to the final margin of 76-50.
Minnesota dominated the Scarlet Knights all over the floor. The Gophers had four players in double figures led by Amaya Battle’s 21 points. She added six rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals for her most complete game of the season. McKenna Johnson added 15 points off the bench for the Gophers in 21 minutes on 6-11 shooting. Sophie Hart earned her second career double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Grace Grocholski added 12 points with a season high 8 assists as well. Minnesota did it all without the services of star freshman Tori McKinney who missed the game and was seen wearing dark glasses on the bench leading to speculation it was concussion related.
Minnesota’s defense came to play holding Rutgers to just over 31 % shooting for the game and just 2-16 from beyond the arc. Minnesota outscored Rutgers by 10 in the point and scored 20 points off of 13 Scarlet Knights turnovers. The Gophers also ruled the boards outrebounding Rutgers 51-32 including 18 offensive rebounds.
Rutgers freshman star Kiyomi McMiller did not play against the Gophers after she was benched prior to Rutgers loss to USC on Saturday. News came out that she was in an incident in the locker room with a teammate and then her advisors who formerly worked for former boxer Floyd Mayweather were rumored to have told her to seek a transfer.
Minnesota next heads on the road for a pair of games next week. They begin with their toughest opponent of the season next Tuesday when they head to #8 Maryland who suffered their first loss of the season on Wednesday to #4 USC.