University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, November 9
Williams Arena
8:00 PM
University of Minnesota
1-0
70
vs
47
New Hampshire
0-1
1
2
3
4
F
New Hampshire
11
9
9
18
47
Minnesota
16
15
17
22
70
Gophers Give Whalen Win in Coaching Debut
11/9/2018 10:57:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MINNEAPOLIS -- A career-high 21 points from senior Annalese Lamke and a double-double from junior Taiye Bello complemented a strong defensive effort as the Minnesota women's basketball team (1-0) captured an 70-47 win over New Hampshire (0-1) in the head coaching debut of Lindsay Whalen Friday night.
The announced crowd of 14,625 was a program record, surpassing the previous high of 14,363 set during Whalen's senior season in 2004. Four of the top five marks in team history have now occurred with Whalen as either a player or coach.
Minnesota has now won 10 straight season openers and 17 of its last 18 such games. The team has also prevailed in 19 straight home openers.
After scoring 18 points all of last season, Lamke scored 17 alone in the second half and posted her 21 Friday night on an efficient 9-of-12 shooting. In addition to career highs in points, field goals made and field goals attempted, she also added a career-high three made throws, five rebounds and two steals.
Bello scored 10 points in the first half and finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds for her fifth career double-double. Minnesota has not lost when she's recorded a double-double. She also had a career-high five blocks.
Senior Kenisha Bell also reached double figures for Minnesota as she tallied 17 points to go along with eight assists, five rebounds and four steals.
As a team, the Gophers shot 44.6 percent from the floor, highlighted by a 10-of-17 (58.8 percent) effort in the fourth quarter.
Playing New Hampshire for the first time ever, Minnesota outscored the Wildcats 16-11 in the first quarter and led 31-20 at halftime after limiting them to just nine points in the second quarter. The 20 points allowed by the Gophers was lower than in any half last season. For further context, only three times last season did the Gophers hold an opponent to less than 10 points in any given quarter. Friday they did it in consecutive quarters.
The lead stood at 14-11 for Minnesota with 3:27 to go in the first quarter, but the Gophers held the Wildcats without a field goal for the next 7:49. It was all part of a 13-2 run that put Minnesota squarely in control, thanks in part to a 7-0 span within the spurt.
The strong defensive effort continued in the second half as the Wildcats were again held to just nine points in the third quarter. New Hampshire cut the lead to single digits at 34-25 with 7:25 to play in the third, but Minnesota countered with a 9-0 run to put the game away. The lead grew to as many as 27 in the fourth quarter.
Highlighting the defensive effort, the 47 points scored by New Hampshire were the fewest by a Minnesota opponent since an 80-46 win over Rutgers on Feb 11, 2017.
The Wildcats were held to under 33 percent shooting from the floor and under 30 percent from 3-point range. The Gophers also forced them into 19 turnovers.
Minnesota returns to action next Wednesday as it travels to Xavier for the Golden Gophers' first road game of the season.
Game Notes
Minnesota is 29-18 all-time in season openers and 40-6 in home openers since 1973-74 ... the Golden Gophers are 6-0 all-time against teams from the America East Conference … Gophers head coaches are 6-4 in their debut games since 1973-74 ... junior Jasmine Brunson had a career-high six assists and four steals … senior Palma Kaposi had her first career multi-block game ... freshmen Delaynie Byrne (one rebound), Mercedes Staples (four points, one steal) and Barbora Tomancova (three rebounds, one assist) each made their Gophers debuts.
The announced crowd of 14,625 was a program record, surpassing the previous high of 14,363 set during Whalen's senior season in 2004. Four of the top five marks in team history have now occurred with Whalen as either a player or coach.
Minnesota has now won 10 straight season openers and 17 of its last 18 such games. The team has also prevailed in 19 straight home openers.
After scoring 18 points all of last season, Lamke scored 17 alone in the second half and posted her 21 Friday night on an efficient 9-of-12 shooting. In addition to career highs in points, field goals made and field goals attempted, she also added a career-high three made throws, five rebounds and two steals.
Bello scored 10 points in the first half and finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds for her fifth career double-double. Minnesota has not lost when she's recorded a double-double. She also had a career-high five blocks.
Senior Kenisha Bell also reached double figures for Minnesota as she tallied 17 points to go along with eight assists, five rebounds and four steals.
As a team, the Gophers shot 44.6 percent from the floor, highlighted by a 10-of-17 (58.8 percent) effort in the fourth quarter.
Playing New Hampshire for the first time ever, Minnesota outscored the Wildcats 16-11 in the first quarter and led 31-20 at halftime after limiting them to just nine points in the second quarter. The 20 points allowed by the Gophers was lower than in any half last season. For further context, only three times last season did the Gophers hold an opponent to less than 10 points in any given quarter. Friday they did it in consecutive quarters.
The lead stood at 14-11 for Minnesota with 3:27 to go in the first quarter, but the Gophers held the Wildcats without a field goal for the next 7:49. It was all part of a 13-2 run that put Minnesota squarely in control, thanks in part to a 7-0 span within the spurt.
The strong defensive effort continued in the second half as the Wildcats were again held to just nine points in the third quarter. New Hampshire cut the lead to single digits at 34-25 with 7:25 to play in the third, but Minnesota countered with a 9-0 run to put the game away. The lead grew to as many as 27 in the fourth quarter.
Highlighting the defensive effort, the 47 points scored by New Hampshire were the fewest by a Minnesota opponent since an 80-46 win over Rutgers on Feb 11, 2017.
The Wildcats were held to under 33 percent shooting from the floor and under 30 percent from 3-point range. The Gophers also forced them into 19 turnovers.
Minnesota returns to action next Wednesday as it travels to Xavier for the Golden Gophers' first road game of the season.
Game Notes
Minnesota is 29-18 all-time in season openers and 40-6 in home openers since 1973-74 ... the Golden Gophers are 6-0 all-time against teams from the America East Conference … Gophers head coaches are 6-4 in their debut games since 1973-74 ... junior Jasmine Brunson had a career-high six assists and four steals … senior Palma Kaposi had her first career multi-block game ... freshmen Delaynie Byrne (one rebound), Mercedes Staples (four points, one steal) and Barbora Tomancova (three rebounds, one assist) each made their Gophers debuts.
Team Stats
UNH
MINN
FG%
.328
.446
3FG%
.294
.200
FT%
.400
.529
RB
38
45
TO
18
10
STL
6
11
Game Leaders
Pts
21
FGM
9
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
17
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
14
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballC
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F/C
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