University of Minnesota Athletics
Game Preview: Gophers vs. Wake Forest
11/24/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
| Minnesota vs. Wake Forest | |
| Date / Time | Saturday, Nov. 25 | 4:30 p.m. CT |
| Location | Cox Pavilion (Las Vegas) |
| Radio | 93.3 ALT FM | Listen Online | iHeartRadio App |
| Game Notes | Minnesota | Wake Forest |
| Official Sites | Minnesota | Wake Forest |
| Social Media | @GopherWBB | Facebook | Instagram |
The Gophers are in Las Vegas for the Lady Rebel Round-Up, hosted by UNLV. Minnesota will face Wake Forest in the first round on Saturday, Nov. 25 with tipoff at 4:30 p.m. CT. If the Gophers win, they will face the winner of UNLV vs. Hofstra at the same time Sunday. If they lose, they will face the loser of the same game at 2 p.m. CT Sunday.
Both games will be broadcast on ALT 93.3 FM on radio and online, and through the iHeartRadio app. Only UNLV games will have video live streams through unlvrebels.com.
Here are five things to know about Minnesota heading into this Thanksgiving weekend tournament:
1 Minnesota has started 5-0 for the first time in 10 years. With a win against Wake Forest the Gophers would equal their third-best undefeated start ever (2007-08). They have started at least 4-0 in four consecutive seasons, a program record. Minnesota erased an 11-point deficit against Xavier for its latest win.
2 Kenisha Bell and Destiny Pitts are the reigning Big Ten Co-Player of the Week and Big Ten Freshman of the Week, respectively. They have combined for five double-doubles this season. More recently Bell (21.0 ppg, 7.6 apg) scored 20 points, including 10 in the crucial third quarter, to help fuel Wednesday's comeback against Xavier. Pitts (12.0 ppg, 11.6 rpg) pulled down 10 rebounds in that win. She has four double-digit rebound games, already tied with Jessie Edwards' team-high total for the whole 2016-17 season. No Gopher has had more double-digit rebound games in a season since Amanda Zahui B. (24) and Shae Kelley (15) in 2014-15.
3 Carlie Wagner (18.0 ppg) has a chance to move into seventh place on the Gophers' career scoring list while at the Lady Rebel Round-Up. After a team-leading 24-point game against Xavier, she brings 1,687 career points to Las Vegas, 19 points behind Molly Tadich (1983-87). Wagner's next 3-pointer will be her 217th and put her in third place alone on that list. She is tied with Lindsay Lieser (1999-03) now.
4 The Gophers have forced more turnovers (17.8) than they have committed (9.8) in each game this season. Rebounding has been another factor of Minnesota's success. The Gophers have had the advantage on the glass for their past four games, and have a +13.6 rebound margin overall.
5 Wagner, a two-time All-Big Ten Second Team honoree, was on the All-Big Ten Preseason Team. Bell (2017 All-Big Ten Honorable Mention) is on the Nancy Lieberman Award (nation's top point guard) watch list. Since Stollings' arrival, the Gophers have had two Big Ten Players of the Year (Zahui B. 2015, Rachel Banham 2016), three First Team selections, two consensus Second Team selections, one All-Freshman award and one Honorable Mention. Zahui B. and Banham went on to make Minnesota the only team besides UConn to have top-five picks in both their years' WNBA Drafts.
SCOUTING THE DEMON DEACONS
• Wake Forest is 2-2 with wins against Texas Southern and Richmond, and losses to Seton Hall and Rutgers. The Demon Deacons returned four starters from last year's 16-16 team.
• Coach Jen Hoover is in her sixth season at Wake. The Deacons' second leading all-time scorer as a player, Hoover has guided them to two straight WNIT appearances.
• Senior guard Amber Campbell is averaging a team-high 12.0 points per game. Sophomores Tyra Whitehead (11.3) and Alex Sharp (10.0) also score in double figures. All three of the Deacons' top scorers pull down at least 5.8 rebounds per game.
• Wake Forest has outrebounded all four of its opponents. The Deacons grab 46.0 boards per game to their opponents' 32.8.
