University of Minnesota Athletics
Tuesday, December 5
Lincoln, NE
University of Minnesota
74
at
65
Nebraska
Gophers Defeat Nationally Ranked Nebraska in Lincoln
12/6/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Minnesota held No. 25 Nebraska without a basket for the final 3:52 of the game while outscoring the Cornhuskers 14-1 during the stretch to capture a 74-65 victory, Tuesday, in Lincoln, Neb. The Golden Gophers improve to 8-2 on the season, while Nebraska falls to 6-2.
Kelly Roysland led the Gophers with 20 points, while Ashley Ellis-Milan added 15 and Brittany McCoy a career-high 14. McCoy was also charged with defending All-Big 12 guard Kiera Hardy, who scored 12 points but shot 4-12 from the field.
“This was one of the most enjoyable games I have ever coached,” said Golden Gopher head coach Pam Borton. “The team carried out our game plan very well and played so hard. We had players step up and make big plays all night. Brittany (McCoy) is only a freshman but she played like a senior tonight.”
Borton needed to manage her young squad that found itself in foul trouble throughout the second half. Ellis-Milan picked up her fourth foul with 12:23 left in the second half and took a seat on the bench with 15 points and the Gophers holding a 56-52 lead.
With Ellis-Milan and Emily Fox, also with four fouls on the bench, Minnesota struggled to score. Over the next 6:30, the Gophers only put a McCoy jumper on the scoreboard. When Ellis-Milan returned with 5:50 remaining, the Gophers trailed 59-58.
During that stretch, McCoy also picked up her fourth foul with 10:09 on the clock. Borton sent Jordan Barnes to the scorer’s table to check in but changed her mind and left McCoy on the floor, a decision that would pay big dividends as the game drew to a close.
McCoy scored 11 points in the second half and hounded Nebraska’s senior playmaker to a 1-for-7 shooting performance down the stretch.
The one shot Hardy hit gave the Cornhuskers their biggest lead of the game at 64-60 with 3:52 remaining. It would turn out to be Nebraska’s last field goal.
Korinne Campbell hit a free throw to tie the score a 64-64 a minute later. McCoy netted two free throws to give Minnesota the lead for good at the 1:44 mark. McCoy forced Hardy into a turnover on the next possession and Roysland drove for a lay-up to give Minnesota a 68-64 cushion with 1:29 to go.
Needing a basket, Nebraska looked to Kelsey Griffin, who led the Huskers with 17 points, but her shot bounced off the rim and Campbell skied for the rebound. Campbell turned around to make a big play on the offensive end as well, muscling up a short jumper in traffic as the shot clock expired to put the Gophers up by six with 44 ticks left. Campbell contributed a career-high 14 rebounds to the victory.
The Huskers scored their only point of the final minutes in their next possession. Hardy missed the first free throw and made the second with 33 seconds remaining. Minnesota put the ball in senior Roysland hands as Nebraska was forced to foul and the Gopher team captain sank 4-for-4 free throws to seal the game.
The Gophers held a 44-41 lead at halftime, their three-point advantage aided by a last-second offensive rebound and basket by Ellis-Milan. Minnesota shot 51.6 percent in the first half.
Nebraska started out cold from the field missing 12 of its first 13 shots as the Gophers grabbed an early 9-2 lead. The Cornhuskers found their range making eight straight field goals to first tie the score at 22, then take a 27-24 lead. Emily Fox hit a three-pointer from the left wing to knot the score at 27. Overall the first half featured eight ties and six lead changes.
The last time Minnesota defeated a nationally ranked team on that team’s home court was a 58-38 victory over No. 20 Purdue in Mackey Arena on Jan. 13, 2005.
Minnesota will play its second consecutive opponent from the Big 12 Conference when the Gophers travel to Iowa State on Saturday.
Kelly Roysland led the Gophers with 20 points, while Ashley Ellis-Milan added 15 and Brittany McCoy a career-high 14. McCoy was also charged with defending All-Big 12 guard Kiera Hardy, who scored 12 points but shot 4-12 from the field.
“This was one of the most enjoyable games I have ever coached,” said Golden Gopher head coach Pam Borton. “The team carried out our game plan very well and played so hard. We had players step up and make big plays all night. Brittany (McCoy) is only a freshman but she played like a senior tonight.”
Borton needed to manage her young squad that found itself in foul trouble throughout the second half. Ellis-Milan picked up her fourth foul with 12:23 left in the second half and took a seat on the bench with 15 points and the Gophers holding a 56-52 lead.
With Ellis-Milan and Emily Fox, also with four fouls on the bench, Minnesota struggled to score. Over the next 6:30, the Gophers only put a McCoy jumper on the scoreboard. When Ellis-Milan returned with 5:50 remaining, the Gophers trailed 59-58.
During that stretch, McCoy also picked up her fourth foul with 10:09 on the clock. Borton sent Jordan Barnes to the scorer’s table to check in but changed her mind and left McCoy on the floor, a decision that would pay big dividends as the game drew to a close.
McCoy scored 11 points in the second half and hounded Nebraska’s senior playmaker to a 1-for-7 shooting performance down the stretch.
The one shot Hardy hit gave the Cornhuskers their biggest lead of the game at 64-60 with 3:52 remaining. It would turn out to be Nebraska’s last field goal.
Korinne Campbell hit a free throw to tie the score a 64-64 a minute later. McCoy netted two free throws to give Minnesota the lead for good at the 1:44 mark. McCoy forced Hardy into a turnover on the next possession and Roysland drove for a lay-up to give Minnesota a 68-64 cushion with 1:29 to go.
Needing a basket, Nebraska looked to Kelsey Griffin, who led the Huskers with 17 points, but her shot bounced off the rim and Campbell skied for the rebound. Campbell turned around to make a big play on the offensive end as well, muscling up a short jumper in traffic as the shot clock expired to put the Gophers up by six with 44 ticks left. Campbell contributed a career-high 14 rebounds to the victory.
The Huskers scored their only point of the final minutes in their next possession. Hardy missed the first free throw and made the second with 33 seconds remaining. Minnesota put the ball in senior Roysland hands as Nebraska was forced to foul and the Gopher team captain sank 4-for-4 free throws to seal the game.
The Gophers held a 44-41 lead at halftime, their three-point advantage aided by a last-second offensive rebound and basket by Ellis-Milan. Minnesota shot 51.6 percent in the first half.
Nebraska started out cold from the field missing 12 of its first 13 shots as the Gophers grabbed an early 9-2 lead. The Cornhuskers found their range making eight straight field goals to first tie the score at 22, then take a 27-24 lead. Emily Fox hit a three-pointer from the left wing to knot the score at 27. Overall the first half featured eight ties and six lead changes.
The last time Minnesota defeated a nationally ranked team on that team’s home court was a 58-38 victory over No. 20 Purdue in Mackey Arena on Jan. 13, 2005.
Minnesota will play its second consecutive opponent from the Big 12 Conference when the Gophers travel to Iowa State on Saturday.
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