University of Minnesota Athletics
Bell and Pitts Shine Early in the Season
11/20/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Through four games for the University of Minnesota women's basketball team, the Gophers have been led by a multi-faceted attack from both veterans and rookies.
Redshirt junior Kenisha Bell and freshman Destiny Pitts have both posted back-to-back double-doubles-in Bell's case, three straight-leading Minnesota to a perfect record so far, and a 78-68 win over Boston College Sunday.
Bell, Minnesota's second leading scorer last season, has continued to prove that she is a deadly scorer, dropping a career-high 31 points on the Eagles, and finishing her double-double with 10 rebounds. Bell also dished out five assists and had only two turnovers on the night.
"Kenisha and I were in the trenches last year. It was in a really tough environment in her first year in the Big Ten," head coach Marlene Stollings said. "She took care of the ball extremely well for us, and that's because her decision making is much, much improved this year. It's something that she really focused on in the offseason. The five assist, two turnover ratio is probably my most proud stat line from Keke the entire evening."
Bell has been the leading scorer for Minnesota this year, averaging 21.3 points per game, while shooting almost 52 percent from the field. But, more importantly, she has proven she can heat up and still be under control. Bell posted 16 points in the first quarter alone, but still was able to facilitate in the offense, and find open looks for her teammates.
"She was extremely poised," Stollings said. "I thought she managed the game extremely well. She knew when to go. She knew when to pull back."
While the more experienced Bell has been the primary offensive catalyst, Pitts has been a solid, well-rounded addition to the Gophers' rotation.
"Back-to-back double-doubles, leading the team in rebounding, you don't see that across the nation with a lot of veterans, and we have a freshman doing that," Stollings said. "I think it speaks volumes to her maturity, her basketball IQ and just her fundamental skill set. I think it's relevant and important that we highlight the tremendous evening that she had."
Pitts finished the game against Boston College with 14 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, giving the Gophers a performance they needed. Pitts credited her teammates for her play Sunday night.
"My teammates are able to look for me when I'm open, and trust in my shot," Pitts said. "I try to focus on rebounds a lot, because I know I can outlet it to our point guards and the can get the break started."
Looking ahead for the rest of the season, both players noted that offseason preparation has pushed them to play at the level they are at, and will continue to push them throughout the season.
"It's basically building a bond with each other, learning from each other, and finding the strengths and weaknesses of each other to help us get better to help build confidence," Bell said. "Now, we're just going with the flow."
Story by athletic communications assistant Tommy Sletten
