University of Minnesota Athletics
Game Preview: Minnesota vs. Michigan State
2/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
| Minnesota (17-6, 6-5 B1G) vs. Michigan State (11-12, 3-9 B1G) | |
| Date / Time | Sunday, February 8 | 2 p.m. |
| Location | Minneapolis, Minn. (Williams Arena) |
| TV | BTN Plus on BTN2Go |
| Radio | 1500 ESPN Play-by-Play: Corbu Stathes | Analyst: Lynnette Sjoquist |
| Live Stats | |
| Game Notes | Minnesota | Michigan State |
| Official Sites | Minnesota | Michigan State |
| Social Media | @GophersWBB | Facebook |
Feb. 7, 2015
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota (17-6, 6-5) women's basketball team returns to Williams Arena for a 2 p.m. contest against Michigan State (11-12, 3-9) Sunday afternoon. The game will serve as the Golden Gophers' annual Breast Cancer Awareness Day, with fans receiving a free pink t-shirt upon arrival to the Barn. The Maroon and Gold will also celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Sunday, with youth girls receiving a free t-shirt at the gate. A post-game autograph session will feature representatives from each of the Gopher women's teams.
Minnesota enters the contest against the Spartans boasting a 9-2 record at Williams Arena this season and looks to snap a two-game losing skid following back-to-back losses at Northwestern and Illinois. When playing at the Barn in 2014-15, the Gophers are averaging 82.8 points per game and outscoring their opponents by an average of 12.9 points per game. The Maroon and Gold is also efficient from the floor, notching a .455 field goal percetange on its home court.
Amanda Zahui B. has put on a show at Williams Arena this season, as she is averaging 19.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 5.0 blocks per home game. The center takes on Michigan State needing just three blocks to surpass Janel McCarville as Minnesota's all-time leader in the category and she is 79 points away from becoming the 22nd Gopher in program history to join the 1,000-point club.
Zahui currently ranks in the NCAA top-10 in five different categories, including second in triple-doubles, fifth in double-doubles, seventh in blocks per game, eighth in defensive rebounds per game and ninth in rebounds per game. Also ranking in the NCAA top-10 is junior guard Shayne Mullaney, who ranks sixth with a 7.1 assists-per-game average. Mullaney also leads the Big Ten in conference games only with an average of 8.6 assists per game.
Minnesota is 20-39 all-time when facing Michigan State, with its last win against the Spartans coming on Jan. 19, 2012, a 71-65 victory at Williams Arena, which is its lone win in the teams' last eight meetings. Overall, the Gophers are 12-15 when facing MSU in Minneapolis.
The Spartans come to the Barn having also lost two-straight Big Ten games to Ohio State and Michigan. They are 3-9 in conference play this season, with their wins coming against Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. Ariel Powers paces Michigan State and ranks second in the Big Ten with a 22.0 points-per-game average, while she also leads the league with 19 double-doubles on the year. In Big Ten-only play, Powers is averaging 24.5 points and 12.3 rebounds per game, both of which ranks second in league standings.
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