University of Minnesota Athletics
Game Preview: Ohio State
1/25/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
| Minnesota vs. Ohio State | |
| Date / Time | Thursday, Jan. 26 | 7 p.m. |
| Location | Williams Arena - Directions |
| Tickets | Click Here |
| Travel | Local Weather | Parking | Preferred Hotels |
| TV/Live Video | BTN Plus |
| Radio | 1500 ESPN | Listen Online |
| Live Stats | |
| Live Updates | Game Day Live |
| Game Notes | Minnesota | Ohio State |
| Official Sites | Minnesota | Ohio State |
| Social Media | @GopherWBB | Facebook |
The University of Minnesota women's basketball team (11-9, 2-5 Big Ten) has a chance to even the season series against Ohio State (17-5, 7-1 Big Ten). The Buckeyes visit Williams Arena for a Thursday, Jan. 26 game at 7 p.m. The game will be streamed on BTN Plus, with the radio broadcast airing on 1500 ESPN.
Here are five things to know before tipoff:
1 A win for Minnesota on Thursday would even the season series with Ohio State and extend the Gophers' home winning streak against the Buckeyes to five. (Ohio State has not won in Minneapolis since 2011.) The Gophers' most recent victory in the series was a 90-88 overtime thriller at Williams Arena last Feb. 24. Rachel Banham scored 35 points and Carlie Wagner made the game-winning shot. It was Minnesota's first win against a top-five opponent in 11 years.
2 The Gophers are 34-7 at the Barn during head coach Marlene Stollings' tenure. This includes four wins against ranked teams. Minnesota is 8-2 (2-1 Big Ten) at home this season, with five of those wins coming against teams who played in the 2016 postseason.
3 Junior guard Carlie Wagner is 11th on the Gophers' career scoring list with 1,392 points. The Naismith Trophy Watch List honoree has moved up 12 places since the season began. She is tied for fifth in the Big Ten with a career-best average of 19.4 points per game. Wagner has surpassed the 20-point mark 10 times in 2016-17.
4 Wagner and Kenisha Bell (16.5 ppg) are the second-leading scoring duo in the Big Ten with a combined 35.9 points per game (behind Maryland's Brionna Jones and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, 36.4). Bell is among conference leaders with 5.7 assists (second) and 2.1 steals (fifth) per game. Bryanna Fernstrom continues to lead the Big Ten in blocks within conference play, at 2.6 per game.
5 Guard Gadiva Hubbard leads all Big Ten freshmen with an average of 13.7 points per game. She is averaging 13.3 points per game since her return from mono, and led the team with 18 at Iowa. Hubbard's current season average is one of the best by Minnesota freshmen in recent years. Other high-scoring freshmen of the past six years: Rachel Banham (16.1 ppg in 2012), Amanda Zahui B. (15.1 ppg as redshirt freshman in 2014) and Carlie Wagner (12.1 ppg in 2015). Banham was the last Minnesota player to lead Big Ten freshmen in scoring.
SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES
• Ohio State is 17-5 overall and 7-1 in Big Ten play. The Buckeyes' only conference loss came at Michigan State, and they have won their last three games. Ohio State made 15 3-pointers in an 88-64 win against Illinois.
• Head coach Kevin McGuff is in his fourth season at Ohio State and has led the Buckeyes to eight NCAA Tournaments.
• 2016 All-American Kelsey Mitchell continues to lead the way for the Buckeyes. She tops the Big Ten scoring list at 22.7 points per game, and had 23 in this season's first meeting with Minnesota.
• Stephanie Mavunga averages a double-double with 11.6 points and 11.4 rebounds per contest. Sierra Calhoun and Shayla Cooper average better than nine points each.
