University of Minnesota Athletics
Game Preview: Army West Point
12/7/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
| Minnesota vs. Army West Point | |
| Date / Time | Thursday, Dec. 8 | 8 p.m. |
| Location | Williams Arena - Directions |
| Tickets | Click Here |
| Travel | Local Weather | Parking | Preferred Hotels |
| TV/Live Video | BTN / BTN2Go.com |
| Radio | 1500 ESPN | Listen Online |
| Live Stats | |
| Live Update | Game Day Live |
| Game Notes | Minnesota | Army |
| Official Sites | Minnesota | Army |
| Links | Video: Coach Stollings' 100th Win |
| Social Media | @GopherWBB | Facebook |
The University of Minnesota (6-3) women's basketball team hosts Army West Point (7-1) on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on BTN, and the radio broadcast will air on 1500 ESPN. Kehinde Bello will be the featured Gopher in postgame autographs.
Here are the top notes heading into Minnesota's 10th game of the season:
1 Minnesota's win at New Mexico on Tuesday was Marlene Stollings' 100th career victory as a head coach. Stollings has posted three straight seasons of 20 or more wins, starting with her final year at VCU in 2013-14. The Gophers' 23 wins in Stollings' first season were their most in 10 years. A win against Army West Point would be Stollings' 50th victory at Minnesota. That would make her the second-fastest coach in program history to reach that mark, in 75 games.
2 The Gophers are 29-6 at Williams Arena under Stollings. This includes four wins over ranked teams, most notably last year's overtime victory against No. 5 Ohio State. Minnesota is 4-1 at home this season, with three of those wins coming against teams who played in the 2016 postseason and the only loss coming against No. 8 Florida State.
3 Naismith Trophy Watch List honoree Carlie Wagner is fourth in the Big Ten in scoring at 20.8 points per game and second in 3-pointers per game with an average of 3.1. Dec. 5 Big Ten Freshman of the Week Gadiva Hubbard leads conference freshmen with 15.0 points per game. Kenisha Bell is second in assists (6.1), fourth in steals (2.3) and 10th in scoring (17.0). Jessie Edwards, who had a double-double against Detroit Mercy, is tied for seventh in rebounding (7.9) and fourth in blocks (1.9).
4 Army West Point will be the fourth of six 2016 NCAA Tournament qualifier the Gophers face in their strongest non-conference schedule in years. The first three were Seton Hall, Georgia and then-No. 8 Florida State. Minnesota will travel to face another top-10 and 2016 Sweet 16-qualifying team at No. 6 South Carolina on Sunday. Belmont (Dec. 14) is the final NCAA Tournament team on the non-league docket.
5 Minnesota is 5-0 this season in games in which one of its players records a double-double. Most recently, Carlie Wagner notched her second career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds at New Mexico. Jessie Edwards has two double-doubles (VCU, Detroit Mercy). Kenisha Bell posted a points/assists double-double with 10 of each vs. Georgetown. Freshman Taiye Bello tallied 10 points and 12 rebounds in her debut against Harvard.
SCOUTING THE BLACK KNIGHTS
• Army is 7-1 in its first season after the graduation of All-American Kelsey Minato, and boasts the nation's top turnover margin, 11.75. The Black Knights are forcing 26.3 turnovers including 13.9 steals per game.
• Head coach Dave Magarity is in his 11th season at West Point. He has guided the Black Knights to two NCAA Tournaments (2014, 2016) and two WNIT appearances (2013, 2015).
• Forward Madison Hovren is leading the Patroit League with an average of 19.5 points and ranks second with 9.4 rebounds per game. She posted double-doubles in the last four games.
• Guard Janae McNeal is the Black Knights' second leading scorer at 9.5 points per game. She averages a team-high 4.5 assists.
• The trip will be a homecoming for Lino Lakes, Minn., natives Daizjah and Destinee Morris.
COMING UP NEXT
Minnesota will travel to Columbia, S.C., to face the No. 6 Gamecocks on Sunday, Dec. 11. The 2 p.m. CT game will air on the SEC Network.
