University of Minnesota Athletics
Game Preview: Gophers vs. Indiana
1/16/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
| Minnesota vs. Indiana | |
| Date / Time | Sunday, Jan. 17 | 2 p.m. |
| Location | Williams Arena - Directions |
| Tickets | MyGopherSports.com |
| Travel | Local Weather | Parking | Preferred Hotels |
| Live Video | BTN Plus |
| Radio | 1500 ESPN | Listen Online |
| Live Stats | |
| Official Sites | Minnesota | Indiana |
| Game Notes | Minnesota | Indiana |
| Social Media | @GopherWBB | Facebook |
| Clips | Banham on Wooden Midseason List (esnpW and GopherSports) |
| Fernstrom Returns to Minnesota (GopherSports) | |
Minnesota (10-6, 2-3 Big Ten) and Indiana (10-7, 2-3 Big Ten) will try to get back to .500 in conference play Sunday. Here are five things to look for when the game clock starts at 2 p.m.:
1 On Friday, Rachel Banham was named to the John Wooden Award Midseason Top 20. Those on the list are considered frontrunners for the award given to the nation's top collegiate player. Banham is one of seven Big Ten players on the list. She is also on the Naismith Trophy Watch List, and was named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team in the fall. In 2014, Banham was a finalist for the Wooden Award. Amanda Zahui B. was a finalist last year, and Janel McCarville was in 2005.
2 Shayne Mullaney enters the game with 501 career assists. She is the fourth Gopher ever to pass the 500 threshold, and she is seventh on the NCAA's career active list. The guard is averaging 6.0 assists per game this season. Within Big Ten play, she is averaging 5.6 and leads the conference with a 4.0 assist-to-turnover ratio.
3 More steps up the career scoring lists are within reach for Rachel Banham. She is 21 points behind the Big Ten's third all-time leading scorer, Katie Smith (Ohio State, 2,578 points). On the NCAA list, Banham is 48th. She is nearing Jasmine Newsome (UT Martin, 2,566), Deborah Temple (Delta State/Ole Miss, 2,573), Smith, Damika Martinez (Iona, 2,581) and Gabriela Marginean (Drexel, 2,581).
4 During Marlene Stollings' tenure at Minnesota, the Gophers have never lost more than two games in a row. They will look to continue that trend by bouncing back with a win over Indiana after incomplete comeback attempts against Michigan and at Purdue. Last season, the Gophers' longest winning streak (10 games) was five times as long as their longest losing streak.
5 Minnesota has made 148 3-pointers through 16 games. Through 16 games last year, the Gophers had made 100 of their school record-setting 214 triples. To break last year's record during the regular season, they would need to average 5.1 per game. If they were to continue their current average of 9.3 3-pointers per game, they would end the season with 268. The Big Ten record is 274, set by Iowa last year.
Scouting the Hoosiers
• Indiana comes to Minneapolis off an 81-65 win over No. 18/18 Michigan State. Tyra Buss (18.9 ppg) led the Hoosiers with 24 points, and Karlee McBride added 17 points without missing a shot.
• Amanda Cahill (13.9 ppg) and Alexis Gassion (11.8) join Buss in averaging double figures. Cahill averages 7.9 rebounds per game, and has double-doubles in four of the Hoosiers' last six games. Buss has scored in double figures in every game.
• Indiana leads the Big Ten in free throw attempts and makes, shooting 276-of-378 (.730) from the line.
• The Gophers and Hoosiers have played two common Big Ten opponents so far in the season. Indiana beat Michigan in overtime and lost at Purdue.
• Minnesota won last year's meeting at the Barn 65-61. Carlie Wagner scored 13 points and hit a key jumper in the final minute. Shae Kelley had 19 points and 13 rebounds. For Indiana, Larryn Brooks and Cahill each had 12 points and Jenn Anderson had 10.
