University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
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Kansas
Gophers Top Kansas, 70-59
11/20/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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Nov. 20, 2013
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Behind a triple-double from Amanda Zahui B., the University of Minnesota (3-1) women's basketball team handed visiting Kansas (3-1) its first loss of the season, 70-59, Wednesday night in front of 3,455 at Williams Arena.
Zahui B. dominated both ends of the floor for the Golden Gophers, as she posted just the fourth triple-double in program history with 11 points, 11 rebounds and a program-record 10 blocks. Janel McCarville was the last Gopher to record a triple-double on March 5, 2004 in the Big Ten Tournament, while Mary Manderfeld held the previous single-game record with eight blocks on Jan. 31, 1981 vs. Northwestern. Zahui B.'s 10 blocks also rank tied for eighth in Big Ten history.
Rachel Banham led the Gophers in scoring with 26 points on 9-for-15 shooting. Micaëlla Riché added 20 points on 8-for-12 shooting. Shayne Mullaney also reached double figures with 11 points.
The Gophers trailed Kansas by as many as nine points in the half, but Minnesota put together an 11-5 run in the final 4:14, capped off by a Banham three-pointer with three seconds remaining, to make the score 30-32 a halftime.
Banham notched 13 points in the opening stanza to lead all scorers and extend her double-digit scoring streak to 20 games, while Riche and Zahui each had four rebounds to pace the Gophers on the glass.
Minnesota was 13-of-24 from the floor in the half to register a .542 field goal percentage, while the Jayhawks connected on 13 of their 32 attempts for a .406 shooting percentage through the first 20 minutes of play.
The Gophers opened the second half with an 8-3 run, knotting the game, 34-34, on a basket from Banham at the 18:16 mark, before taking their first lead of the contest, 36-35, on a jumper from Mullaney less than a minute later. A layup from Riche extended Minnesota's lead to three points and forced the Jayhawks to take a timeout.
Minnesota would go on to lead by as many as 11 points in the second half, but the Jayhawks fought back to pull within three points of the home team, 60-57, with less than two minutes to play. The Gophers made 10-of-10 free throws in the final 1:07 to secure the 70-59 victory.
The Gophers are back in action Sunday when they host Navy in a 2:00 p.m. contest at the Barn. The game will serve as Military Appreciation Day, with members of the military receiving a complimentary ticket with a valid military ID. Minnesota will also host a food drive at the contest, with contributing fans receiving a raffle ticket for a chance to win great Gopher prizes during the game.
