University of Minnesota Athletics
Golden Gophers Host Ohio State on Thursday
2/7/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Minnesota Golden Gophers (13-11, 5-6 Big Ten)
vs.
No. 4/5 Ohio State (21-1, 10-0 Big Ten)
LOCATION Williams Arena (14,625) - Minneapolis, Minn..
DATE / TIME: Thurs., Feb. 8 - 7 p.m.
TELEVISION: none
RADIO / WEBCAST: KBEM-FM-88.5, KRDS 95.5 /
Gopher Radio Network / gophersports.com
Rita Maloney (play-by-play), Lynnette Sjoquist (analyst)
Golden Gopher Watch List — Feb. 8, 2007
• Gophers Host Big Ten Leader Ohio State on Thursday - Minnesota (13-11, 5-6 Big Ten) plays host to No. 4/5 Ohio State on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Williams Arena. The Buckeyes lead the Big Ten with a 10-0 mark.
• The Waiting Game - Minnesota hopes to get its senior captain Kelly Roysland back soon from a broken collarbone suffered two weeks ago. Roysland hopes to be back in uniform on Sunday when the Golden Gophers celebrate Senior Recognition Day.
• Fox Playing All-Conference Calibre Ball - Sophomore Emily Fox has stepped into the Gophers’ leading role and is averaging 20.1 points per game since Kelly Roysland went down with her injury.
• Mark Your Calendars and Circle the Tip Time - Minnesota hosts Indiana on Sunday, Feb. 11, as the Gophers celebrate Senior Recognition Day. The tip time is an early 12 noon to facilitate a Comcast SportsNet Chicago television broadcast.
Gophers Play Host to Ohio State on Thursday
Minnesota (13-11, 5-6 Big Ten) plays host to Big Ten leader Ohio State (21-1, 10-0 Big Ten) on Thursday, Feb. 8, in the first of the Golden Gophers’ two home games this week. Tip off is set for 7 p.m.
A Log Jam in the Middle of the Pack
Minnesota is part of a three-way tie for fifth place in the Big Ten standings with Penn State and Wisconsin. Fifth-place is important for seeding purposes for the Big Ten Tournament. The top five teams receive a bye in the first round. On Thursday, Wisconsin hosts Indiana, while Penn State enjoys a bye.
Playing Against Nationally Ranked Opposition
No. 4/5 Ohio State is highest ranked team the Gophers have faced this season. The Buckeyes were ranked No. 7/8 when Minnesota faced Ohio State in Columbus in early January. Overall, Minnesota is 1-2 against nationally ranked team in 2006-07 with a win over Nebraska and losses to Ohio State and Purdue. In addition to those three teams, two other teams the Gophers faced are now included among the nation’s top 25 - Wisconsin-Green Bay and Middle Tennessee State.
Other Top-Five Nuggets
Minnesota last played a top-five ranked last season when the Gophers lost at No. 3/3 LSU. The last time the Gophers defeated a top-five team was a 66-63 victory over No. 3/6 Ohio State in the semifinal of the 2005 Big Ten Tournament.
The Waiting Game, Roysland to Return Soon
The Gophers’ lone senior and team captain Kelly Roysland will miss Thursday’s game versus Ohio State after suffering a broken collarbone in the game versus Iowa (Jan. 25). Prior to her injury, Roysland had played in each of her 118 career games, including Minnesota’s Final Four national semifinal appearance versus Connecticut in 2004.
Fox on the Run
Emily Fox has played her best basketball of her career over the past few weeks, especially important now with backcourt running mate Kelly Roysland sidelined for a few weeks. Since Roysland went out with her injury, Fox has averaged 20.1 points points a game. During the same span, Fox is also adding 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
Dare We Call It a Shot of Confidence?
Let’s take it one step further. Ever since Emily Fox’s last second jumper won the game at Northwestern, the sophomore guard has averaged 18.3 points per game in Big Ten action. Even more impressive about Fox’s scoring outburst is that four of the six games were played on the road.
And She’s Not Just Scoring...
Emily Fox led the Gophers in points (16), rebounds (8), assists (4) and steals (2) in the Indiana game. The talented sophomore accomplished the same statistical feat in the game at Illinois (Jan.18).
Now That You Bring It Up
Leslie Knight has scored the Gophers’ first points in three of the last five games and in seven contests overall this season. It was however, Ashley Ellis-Milan who scored Minnesota’s first five points in the Gophers’ last outing at Indiana.
McCoy Faces Another Big Test
Brittany McCoy has embraced her defensive stopper role on this Golden Gopher squad. McCoy will face another hurdle in her quest to becoming one of the Big Ten’s top perimeter defenders on Thursday versus Ohio State. In the first meeting with the Buckeyes, McCoy played exceptional defense on Marscilla Packer, a dangerous scoring threat, especially from long range. Packer scored just six points on 1-of-9 from the floor and went 0-for-3 from behind the arc. The challenge for McCoy is to continue her top-notch defensive performance now that she is no longer an unknown rookie.
What McCoy Has Done Lately
Purdue guard Katie Gearlds commented that she was glad former Gopher defensive stopper Shannon Bolden had graduated. Well, Brittany McCoy was like a recurring nightmare for Gearlds, playing tough defense on the All-Big Ten Boilermaker guard and forcing Gearlds into a season-low four-points outing on 2-of-10 from the floor and 0-3 from three-point range. McCoy played 39 of 40 minutes and also contributed seven points, five assists and two steals.
Standing Tall in the Post
Leslie Knight ranks fifth in Big Ten play in field goal percentage converting 54.2 percent of her scoring opportunities. Coupled with her 86.1 percent accuracy from the free throw line, Knight has become a solid scoring option of the Gophers in the low post and averages 11.0 points per Big Ten game.
Barnes Solid in Starting Role
Junior Jordan Barnes has started the last two games filling in for the injured Kelly Roysland. Barnes has responded with solid outings versus No. 10/13 Purdue and Indiana averaging 5.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. She has also averaged 30.5 minutes of action.
Another Rookie Seeks Encore Performance
Redshirt freshman Ashley Ellis-Milan showed she wasn’t intimidated playing at an arena of a highly ranked opponent and against one of the finest players in the collegiate game today. Ellis-Milan collected a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds battling No. 7/8 Ohio State and All-American Jessica Davenport on Jan. 4. The last freshman to record a double-double versus a ranked team was Janel McCarville, who accomplished the teat twice in her 2001-02 rookie season with the Gophers.
Roysland’s Countdown to 1,000 on Hold
Senior Kelly Roysland is three (3) points (has 997 career points) from becoming the 17th player in Minnesota history to score 1,000 points in a career. Roysland scored 10 points versus Iowa (Jan. 25) before leaving the game with her injury.
An Unfortunate Case of Deja Vu
Gopher fans may find the injury to Kelly Roysland a bit ironic. After all, it was Roysland as a true freshman who was asked to fill in when All-American Lindsay Whalen went down with a broken hand in her senior season. Roysland started seven games in Whalen’s absence, improving her scoring average from 5.5 points a game to 8.4 in those seven games.
One of the Big Ten’s Most Improved Players
Leslie Knight has been the Gophers’ most consistent presence in the post during the Big Ten season. If there was such a thing as an award for the Big Ten’s most improved player, Knight would certainly be a leading candidate. In Big Ten play, Knight is shooting 54.2 percent from the floor (an incredible 68.8 percent in home Big Ten games) and 86.1 percent from the line en route to averaging 11.0 points a game. She also averages 5.1 rebounds per game.
Knight’s Consecutive Free Throw Streaks Ends at 19
Leslie Knight hit a career-best 19 consecutive free throws before missing an attempt in the game versus Purdue. Knight kicked off the streak by going a perfect 10-for-10 at Illinois. Kelly Roysland owns the school record with 33 straight free throws made during the 2004-05 season.
Campbell, Ellis-Milan Tops in Offensive Rebounding
Led by two freshmen, Minnesota is the top offensive rebounding team in the Big Ten. Ashley Ellis-Milan’s 80 and Korinne Campbell’s 79 offensive rebounds on the season ranks first and second in the Conference.
Gophers Win When They Score 70 Points
Though for a team with a defensive philosophy this statistic only makes sense it’s worthy of mention nonetheless. Minnesota has won 62 straight games, including 12 this season, when the Gophers have scored 70 or more points. One has to go back to the 2003 Big Ten Tournament and an 80-77 loss to Iowa to find the last time Minnesota tallied 70 yet lost.
Scouting Ohio State
No. 4/5 Ohio State visits Williams Arena with an impressive 21-1 overall record and leading the Big Ten with a 10-0 mark. The Buckeyes also come in with a few notable streaks: a 20-game winning streak this season and a 27-game Big Ten winning streak. Two-time Big Ten Player of the Year and All-American Jessica Davenport leads the way averaging 18.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Davenport has plenty of talent around her as well. Senior guard Brandie Hoskins adds 14.8 points an outing. Sophomore forward Star Allen is the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week and is shooting a sizzling 71.4 percent from the floor in Conference action.
The Minnesota / Ohio State Series
Ohio State leads the series with Minnesota by a dominating 44-8 margin. OSU defeated Minnesota, 75-62, earlier this season in Columbus.
