University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Penn State
Gophers Fall To No. 19 Penn State, 68-65
2/5/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 5, 2012
The Minnesota women's basketball team saw a 15 point first half lead disappear as it succumbed to a second-half comeback by No. 19/21 Penn State, 68-65, Sunday afternoon in Big Ten action from Williams Arena.
The loss dropped the Gophers' record to 12-13 on the season and 4-7 in conference play, while the Nittany Lions improved to 18-5 overall and 8-3 in Big Ten contests.
The Maroon and Gold had four players scored in double-digits, led by freshman Rachel Banham's 14 points. The rookie added four rebounds, four assists and a steal.
Senior Kiara Buford had 13 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, five steals and a block to post her first double-double of the season and the third of her career, while both Kionna Kellogg and Brianna Mastey chipped in 11 points. Kellogg also contributed seven rebounds and Mastey pulled down three.
Each team shot .379 from the floor, but the difference came from beyond the arch, where the Gophers connected on only one of its seven attempts. The Nittany Lions were 5-of-14 from three-point range, including 4-of-5 in the second half and 2-of-2 in the final 1:13.
Four of Penn State's first six points of the contest came from the free throw line, as the Gophers held Penn State without a field goal for 10:19 early in the contest. The scoring stall allowed Minnesota to take a 13-point lead on the visitors, 19-6, with 8:15 to play in the opening stanza.
A layup by Kellogg at 4:52 extended the home team's lead to 15 points, 27-12, which would prove to be its largest advantage of the contest.
After starting the game shooting cold, Penn State used a 7-0 run to pull within eight points of the Maroon and Gold, 27-19, with 3:40 remaining in the half. A three-pointer at 1:33 closed the gap to six points, but Buford answered with a quick layup to keep the Maroon and Gold ahead by eight with just over a minute to play before halftime. Minnesota would hold a 32-24 lead at the break.
The Gophers held the Nittany Lions to a .286 field goal percentage in the first 20 minutes of the game, and held its opponent to just 24 points in the first half for the first time since picking up a win at Northwestern on Jan. 5.
Buford paced the scoring and rebounding efforts in the half with seven points and six rebounds, while adding four steals and two assists. With her third rebound of the game, Buford tallied career-rebound No. 400.
Penn State continued to close the gap on Minnesota in the second half, making it a two-point game, 44-42, with a three-pointer and a pair of free throws at 13:45. But, two free throws from Micaella Riche, who finished the game with five points, four rebounds and two assists, kept the Gophers ahead by two possessions. Kellogg extended the home team's advantage back to five points with a trey at the top of the arch.
Penn State evened the game at 9:11, 51-51, thanks to a three-point play, before taking the lead for the first time of the day on a layup by Alex Bentley at 8:13.
After trailing by as many as five points in the second half, a pair of free throws from Brianna Mastey put the lead back in the Gophers' hands, 61-60, with just under three minutes remaining in the contest.
A basket by Kellogg put the Maroon and Gold ahead by three points, 63-60, at 1:29, but Zhaque Gray hit a bucket from three-point range to once again knot the score, 63-63. Banham connected on a pair of free throws to make the score 65-63, but once again the Nittany Lions were able to knock down a three-pointer to take a three-point lead.
With 21.5 seconds to play, Kellogg picked up her fifth foul and sent Mia Nickson to the line, where the senior hit both to put the visitors on top, 68-65, to end the game.
The Gophers return to action Thursday, Feb. 9, when they travel to Iowa for a conference contest at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
-UM-
