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University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
14-5, 3-3B1G
Rutgers
17-3, 5-1B1G
Gophers Fall at No. 21/19 Rutgers in Overtime
1/13/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Minnesota women's basketball team used a fourth-quarter rally to force overtime at No. 21/19 Rutgers, but the Scarlet Knights prevailed in the extra frame with an 80-70 victory Saturday afternoon.
Senior Carlie Wagner recorded her first double-double of the season, and the fourth of her career, as she tied for the team lead with 22 points and matched a career high with 10 rebounds. Freshman Destiny Pitts played a career-high 45 minutes and tied Wagner with a team-high 22 points.
Rutgers (17-3, 5-1 B1G), held a 56-49 lead with 7:52 to play, but the Golden Gophers (14-5, 3-3 B1G) fought back with a 7-0 run over the next three minutes. Senior Jessie Edwards made a layup, while Pitts hit a 3-pointer and sophomore Gadiva Hubbard followed with a layup to even it at 56-56 with 4:50 to go.
Minnesota eventually took the lead for the first time in the game with 1:06 to play as Pitts converted all three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt. Rutgers answered and went up 68-65 on a pair of free throws.
Pitts then sent Minnesota to its first overtime game since Feb. 21, 2015, when she nailed a 3-pointer from the corner in front of Minnesota's bench. The Golden Gophers nearly won it then in regulation with Wagner came up with a steal on Rutgers' ensuing possession and passed ahead to junior Kenisha Bell, but Bell's runner failed to fall at the buzzer.
In the overtime session, Rutgers outscored Minnesota 12-2 to drop the Golden Gophers to 3-2 in overtime games under head coach Marlene Stollings.
Minnesota found itself down early in the first quarter as turnovers helped Rutgers score the first 10 points of the game. The Golden Gophers bounced back though and cut the deficit in half by the end of the stanza at 17-12. Wagner had five of the team's 12 points in the frame.
The Golden Gophers kept themselves in the game in the second quarter thanks to an efficient performance at the free-throw line, making 9-of-11 shots from the charity stripe. After seven turnovers in the first quarter, Minnesota committed only four in the second while forcing four of their own. Hubbard led the team with eight points in the quarter and 10 points in the first half.
Minnesota then held Rutgers to just 11 points in the third quarter, cutting the lead to 51-47 heading to the fourth. Pitts and Wagner each had five points in the quarter.
The Golden Gophers return home Thursday as they host Wisconsin. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
More Notes
- Taiye Bello set a career high with three blocks
- Wagner reached double figures for a team-leading 18th time this year
- Pitts tied a career high with six made free throws
- Hubbard, Wagner and Pitts all played the entire 45 minutes; it was a career high in minutes for Hubbard and Pitts and a season high for Wagner
- The team's 13 steals tied a season high
