University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
10-7, 1-3Big Te
Wisconsin
5-11, 0-3Big Te
Gophers Win Ninth Consecutive Border Battle
1/7/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Minnesota won its ninth consecutive game in the all-time series with Wisconsin, beating the Badgers 88-60 at home on Saturday. The Golden Gophers now have not only their longest winning streak ever against their border rival, but they also have their first Big Ten win of the season.
The 28-point margin was Minnesota's biggest win over Wisconsin in five years. The Gophers never trailed after answering the Badgers' first basket with a 3-pointer, their first of nine triples in the game.
Carlie Wagner tallied 24 points, six rebounds and five assists in the victory. She shot 4-of-9 from 3-point range. Kenisha Bell added 17 points and seven assists. Whitney Tinjum and Joanna Hedstrom were in double figures with 11 and 10 points each, respectively.
Tinjum and Bryanna Fernstrom each had a team-high seven rebounds. Minnesota held a 47-42 edge in rebounding and outshot Wisconsin 45.1 percent to 32.4 percent.
Suzanne Gilreath led Wisconsin with 14 points. Minnesota held the Badgers' leading scorer, Cayla McMorris, to four points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter: Joanna Hedstrom made a 3-pointer to give the Gophers a 3-2 lead, and they began to pull away with more triples. The Gophers tied their highest-scoring quarter of the season and built a 31-15 lead. Wagner and Hedstrom each made two shots from behind the arc, and Bell added a fifth. Minnesota shot 10-for-17 (59 percent) overall in the first, with Wagner going 4-of-6 for 10 points.
Second Quarter: Bell scored the Gophers' first four points of the second and assisted a Bryanna Fernstrom jumper for the next two. Wagner had 15 points at halftime, Bell 13 and Hedstrom 10 as Minnesota led 50-27.
Third Quarter: After Bell again opened a quarter with four straight points, Tinjum scored all 11 of her points in the third. The Gophers added six points to their lead, up 72-43 going into the fourth.
Fourth Quarter: Wagner scored seven points and Taiye Bello pulled down four of her six rebounds in the fourth. Minnesota led by as much as 35 in the fourth.
MORE NOTES
*The Gophers' 88 points were their most in Big Ten play so far this season, and Wisconsin's 60 points were the fewest allowed by Minnesota in conference play.
*It was the sixth time this year that four or more Gophers scored in double figures.
*Bell and Wagner have 16 double-digit scoring games apiece this year. Wagner has eight 20-point games.
