University of Minnesota Athletics
Game Preview: Gophers vs. Eastern Michigan
12/1/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
| Minnesota vs. Eastern Michigan | |
| Date / Time | Sunday, Dec. 3 // 1 p.m. |
| Location | Williams Arena - Directions |
| Tickets | Click Here // Love Your Melon Package // Cub Family 4-Pack |
| Travel | Local Weather | Parking | Preferred Hotels |
| TV/Live Video | BTN // BTN2Go.com |
| Radio | 93.3 ALT FM // Listen Online // iHeart Radio App |
| Live Stats | |
| Game Notes | Minnesota // Eastern Michigan |
| Official Sites | Minnesota // Eastern Michigan |
| Social Media | @GopherWBB | Facebook | Instagram |
The University of Minnesota women's basketball team (7-1) returns to Williams Arena after three games on the road. The Gophers host Eastern Michigan (2-4) on Sunday, Dec. 3 with a 1 p.m. tipoff time.
Here are five things to know before tipoff:
1 The Gophers turned in their third-best undefeated start in program history, 7-0, their best since starting 15-0 in the Final Four season of 2003-04. They then received their first AP Top 25 votes since Feb. 29, 2016. They have started at least 4-0 in a program-record four consecutive seasons. The 7-0 start was capped by Minnesota's first Thanksgiving tournament title in nine years, the Lady Rebel Round-Up. Freshman Destiny Pitts (40 points, 22 rebounds, 10 3-pointers) received tournament MVP honors. Gadiva Hubbard (42 points, five assists, six 3-pointers) was named to the all-tournament team. Minnesota remains undefeated at home this season at 4-0, and is 43-10 at Williams Arena under Marlene Stollings.
2 Kenisha Bell was named to the Citizen Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List. The Naismith is presented annually to the nation's top collegiate player. Bell currently leads the Gophers with averages of 19.4 points and 7.3 assists, and has three double-doubles. Bell, a 2017 Big Ten Honorable Mention selection, was earlier named to the Nancy Lieberman Award (top point guard) watch list.
3 Pitts was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second time in a row and made the Big Ten Player of the Week Honor Roll. She is averaging a 13.4 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. With five double-digit rebound games, Pitts has already surpassed Jessie Edwards' team-high 2016-17 total. No Gopher has had more double-digit rebound games since Amanda Zahui B. (24) and Shae Kelley (15) in 2014-15. Pitts has three double-doubles this year.
4 Jessie Edwards and Gadiva Hubbard have been on a hot streak recently. Edwards pulled down 13 rebounds at UNLV, and 15 at North Carolina on Wednesday. Hubbard scored 25 points both against Wake Forest and at North Carolina. Carlie Wagner has at least 16 points in each of the last four games.
5 Wagner, a two-time All-Big Ten Second Team honoree, was on the All-Big Ten Preseason Team. Since Marlene 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 EAGLES
• The Eagles enter Sunday's game 2-4. They are currently on a four game losing streak. Last year, they went 6-25 on the season, going 1-17 in the Mid-American Conference.
• Head coach Fred Castro is in his second season at Eastern Michigan. He was previously an assistant coach at Washington, where he helped lead the Huskies to a Final Four appearance in 2016.
• Since her debut in the third game of the season, Danielle Minott has averaged a team-high 13 points per game. She also leads the team with 7.5 rebounds per game.
• Freshman Courtnie Lewis (12.3 ppg) has been the Eagles' top scorer in three games. EMU's returning scoring leader, Sasha Dailey, adds 7.8 ppg.
