University of Minnesota Athletics
Thursday, February 26
East Lansing, MI
University of Minnesota
66
at
51
Michigan State
Gophers Win at Michigan State
2/27/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Emily Fox led four Golden Gophers in double figures as Minnesota captured a big 66-51 win at Michigan State on Thursday. Fox scored 20 points as the Gophers improved to 19-9 overall and 11-6 in Big Ten play.
Kiara Buford added 13 points, while Ashley Ellis-Milan scored 11 and Katie Ohm 10 points. It was the first time since the win over Penn State on Jan. 1 that Minnesota finished with four players in double figures. Zoe Harper came off the bench to lead the Gophers with a career-high 11 rebounds.
“It feels great to be leaving here with a victory,” said Golden Gopher head coach Pam Borton. “This week was a real gut-check for our team. I’m proud of the way our upperclassmen, especially Emmy (Fox) and Katie (Ohm) responded tonight. We played Minnesota basketball tonight. It was a great team effort.”
Michigan State’s Alyssa DeHaan won the opening tip but Fox stepped in front of a Spartan player swiped the ball and went in for a lay-up. The play was a great start for the Gophers, who never trailed in the game.
The Gophers hit six three-pointers in the first half, including three by Ohm, to take a 34-27 lead at halftime. It was the first time in 10 games and the 12th time this season that the Gopher sharpshooter netted three triples in a game.
Fox brought fire into the second half, scoring eight of the Gophers’ first 10 points to give Minnesota a 44-31 lead four minutes in. The Spartans (19-9, 12-5) closed to within 10 points at 58-48 with 4:14 on a driving pull-up jumper in the lane by Lauren Aitch. Harper was called for the foul on the play, but Aitch was unable to break the deficit into single-digits missing the free throw.
With 6-9 DeHaan patrolling the paint, the Gophers didn’t have too many opportunities to look inside to their post players, yet it was Ellis-Milan who posted up in the lane and was fouled. She stepped to the line and stopped any Michigan State momentum by making both free throws and giving Minnesota a 60-48 lead.
Brittany McCoy, who did a great job of controlling the game’s tempo at the point guard, upped the Gopher lead to 14 points with two free throws with 3:01 remaining. She would add another free throw at the 1:52 mark.
Spartan freshman Lykendra Johnson scored the final Spartan points at the 1:37 mark with a pair of free throws. Michigan State did not score a field goal in the last 4:14 of the game.
Johnson led Michigan State with 15 points. DeHaan scored just seven points and pulled down just two rebounds.
Minnesota, a team which had been out-rebounded in nine of last 10 games, solidly controlled the boards to finish with 43-35 margin over the top rebounding team in the Big Ten.
Minnesota closes its regular season on Sunday, March 1, when the Golden Gophers play host to Illinois at 1 p.m. The Gopher seniors will be honored following the game.
Kiara Buford added 13 points, while Ashley Ellis-Milan scored 11 and Katie Ohm 10 points. It was the first time since the win over Penn State on Jan. 1 that Minnesota finished with four players in double figures. Zoe Harper came off the bench to lead the Gophers with a career-high 11 rebounds.
“It feels great to be leaving here with a victory,” said Golden Gopher head coach Pam Borton. “This week was a real gut-check for our team. I’m proud of the way our upperclassmen, especially Emmy (Fox) and Katie (Ohm) responded tonight. We played Minnesota basketball tonight. It was a great team effort.”
Michigan State’s Alyssa DeHaan won the opening tip but Fox stepped in front of a Spartan player swiped the ball and went in for a lay-up. The play was a great start for the Gophers, who never trailed in the game.
The Gophers hit six three-pointers in the first half, including three by Ohm, to take a 34-27 lead at halftime. It was the first time in 10 games and the 12th time this season that the Gopher sharpshooter netted three triples in a game.
Fox brought fire into the second half, scoring eight of the Gophers’ first 10 points to give Minnesota a 44-31 lead four minutes in. The Spartans (19-9, 12-5) closed to within 10 points at 58-48 with 4:14 on a driving pull-up jumper in the lane by Lauren Aitch. Harper was called for the foul on the play, but Aitch was unable to break the deficit into single-digits missing the free throw.
With 6-9 DeHaan patrolling the paint, the Gophers didn’t have too many opportunities to look inside to their post players, yet it was Ellis-Milan who posted up in the lane and was fouled. She stepped to the line and stopped any Michigan State momentum by making both free throws and giving Minnesota a 60-48 lead.
Brittany McCoy, who did a great job of controlling the game’s tempo at the point guard, upped the Gopher lead to 14 points with two free throws with 3:01 remaining. She would add another free throw at the 1:52 mark.
Spartan freshman Lykendra Johnson scored the final Spartan points at the 1:37 mark with a pair of free throws. Michigan State did not score a field goal in the last 4:14 of the game.
Johnson led Michigan State with 15 points. DeHaan scored just seven points and pulled down just two rebounds.
Minnesota, a team which had been out-rebounded in nine of last 10 games, solidly controlled the boards to finish with 43-35 margin over the top rebounding team in the Big Ten.
Minnesota closes its regular season on Sunday, March 1, when the Golden Gophers play host to Illinois at 1 p.m. The Gopher seniors will be honored following the game.
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