University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
10-5, 2-2Big Te
Michigan
10-5, 2-2Big Te
Gophers' Comeback Falls Short against Michigan
1/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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The University of Minnesota (10-5, 2-2 Big Ten) women's basketball team cut an 18-point deficit to five points before falling 93-86 against Michigan (10-5, 2-2 Big Ten). Carlie Wagner led the Gophers with 24 points, while Shayne Mullaney scored 22 and Rachel Banham had 21.
Banham also led the Gophers with seven assists. Mullaney shot 10-for-13 from the floor and had five assists. Allina Starr tallied a team-high seven rebounds.
Minnesota outscored Michigan in the second and third quarters, and tied in the fourth, but the Wolverines had gone up by 15 on hot shooting in the first. For the game, Gophers shot 46.1 percent, and Michigan shot 47.8 percent.
Michigan won the battle on the glass 46-34, the first time during Big Ten season the Gophers have been outrebounded. Jillian Dunston had a game-high 15. Katelynn Flaherty scored 33 points for the Wolverines
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter: The Gophers shot 44.4 percent, but with 63.6-percent shooting, Michigan built a 35-20 lead. The Wolverines got three 3-pointers and 14 points from Flaherty. Wagner scored eight points in the quarter for the Gophers, including 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions.
Second Quarter: Wagner's third 3-pointer of the game brought Minnesota within eight points, trailing 43-35 with 4:32 left in the quarter, but the Wolverines would lead 53-42 at halftime. Wagner had 13 points heading into the locker room, and Mullaney had 11, including seven in the second quarter. Flaherty added six for Michigan in the second and had 20 at the break.
Third Quarter: Michigan led by as much as 19 in the quarter, but Minnesota cut it to a 70-63 deficit heading to the fourth. After missing much of the first half due to foul trouble, Banham returned to the court and scored seven in a row of the Gophers' points. She had 11 in the quarter. A 6-0 run including two Wagner baskets and a Banham layup cut the Wolverines' lead to 11. Later, two Banham free throws and a Mullaney jumper in the middle of the lane trimmed it to seven.
Fourth Quarter: Banham opened the fourth with a basket to bring the Gophers within five points of Michigan. The Wolverines answered with a 6-0 run. Minnesota continued to keep the game close, but free throws helped Michigan extend the lead back to 10 points, 83-73. Mullaney then made a 3-pointer with 1:39 left. After a pair of Michigan free throws, Annalese Lamke completed a three-point play to make it 85-79 at the 1:27 mark. Minnesota would add a few more baskets, but the Wolverines sealed the game at the free throw line.
MORE NOTES
*Banham passed Penn State's Maggie Lucas for fourth place on the Big Ten career scoring list. She is now 48 points behind Ohio State's Katie Smith.
*Banham and Wagner have each scored 20-plus points in three of four Big Ten games this season.
*Wagner has made three or more 3-pointers in seven games this season, including the last four in a row.
*Mullaney has scored in double figures in three straight games. Her 22 points were her most since the game against Towson on Dec. 6.
*The Gophers have recorded four games this year in which three players have scored 20 or more points.
*Minnesota made eight 3-pointers, its 11th time this season making at least seven.
UP NEXT
Minnesota will travel to West Lafayette, Indiana, for a game against Purdue Thursday, Jan. 14 at 6 p.m.
