University of Minnesota Athletics
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
Field Trip Game Wraps Up Six-Game Homestand
12/4/2018 4:20:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MINNEAPOLIS -- No. 14/18 (AP/Coaches) Minnesota (7-0) wraps up its six-game homestand Wednesday afternoon against Incarnate Word (0-8) at noon in the team's sixth annual Field Trip Game. Approximately 6,200 children from local elementary schools are expected to be in attendance.
Wednesday marks the final game of the team's longest stretch of games at home since also playing six in a row at The Barn during December of the 2013-14 season. Wednesday's game will be available to stream on BTN Plus and can be heard on the Gophers' radio home this season, 96.7 FM KFAN Plus.
Wednesday marks the final game of the team's longest stretch of games at home since also playing six in a row at The Barn during December of the 2013-14 season. Wednesday's game will be available to stream on BTN Plus and can be heard on the Gophers' radio home this season, 96.7 FM KFAN Plus.
THE OPENING TIP-OFF
• The Golden Gophers are looking to start 8-0 for the third time in program history. The only better undefeated starts came in 2003-04 (15-0) and 2002-03 (12-0), head coach Lindsay Whalen's junior and senior seasons, respectively. Whalen is just one of two coaches in program history to win at least her first five games. The other to do it was her former coach, Pam Borton, whose first season was in 2002-03.• Minnesota enters Wednesday's game ranked No. 14 in the AP Poll. It's the team's highest ranking since being ranked 11th on Feb. 6, 2006, and it is 15-4 all-time as the No. 14 team in the AP Poll. In addition, Minnesota was No. 18 in the Coaches Poll, its first appearance in the poll since coming in at No. 25 on Dec. 8, 2008.
• Junior forward Taiye Bello had a double-double in each of the first three games of the season, and though she didn't have one in game four against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, she did grab a career-high 19 rebounds. Two games later, she set a career-high with 20 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in a win over No. 12 Syracuse and followed that with 18 more rebounds against Air Force. Through Monday's games, Bello was leading the country in rebounds per game (14.9), was second in offensive rebounds per game (7) and was third in total rebounds (104).
• Minnesota has allowed just 353 points in seven games (50.4 ppg) so far this year. That's the lowest point total allowed in the first seven games of the season for the Gophers since the 1975-76 season (353 points allowed) and the third lowest since records were first kept in 1973-74 (316 points allowed).
• Junior forward Taiye Bello had a double-double in each of the first three games of the season, and though she didn't have one in game four against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, she did grab a career-high 19 rebounds. Two games later, she set a career-high with 20 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in a win over No. 12 Syracuse and followed that with 18 more rebounds against Air Force. Through Monday's games, Bello was leading the country in rebounds per game (14.9), was second in offensive rebounds per game (7) and was third in total rebounds (104).
• Minnesota has allowed just 353 points in seven games (50.4 ppg) so far this year. That's the lowest point total allowed in the first seven games of the season for the Gophers since the 1975-76 season (353 points allowed) and the third lowest since records were first kept in 1973-74 (316 points allowed).
• The Gophers have won all six home games this season. Dating to last season, the team has won 12 of its past 13 contests at Williams Arena, including four Top-25 wins. All-time, Minnesota boasts a .696 winning percentage at The Barn (344-150).
SERIES WITH INCARNATE WORD
RECAPPING THE WIN OVER AIR FORCE
• The 353 points allowed by Minnesota through the first seven games of the season is the third lowest opponent point total in program history.
• The Golden Gophers currently lead the Big Ten and rank seventh in the country in scoring defense by allowing just 50.4 points per game. For comparison, last season Minnesota finished the year ranked 335th by allowing 74.8 points per game.
• Additionally, the Gophers are fifth in the country in rebound margin (14.6), 16th in defensive rebounds per game (31), 25th in opponent field goal percentage (33.8) and 30th in scoring margin (+19.4).
• Some of the advanced metrics, via HerHoopStats.com, also illustrate how strong the Gopher defense has been this year. Minnesota ranks third in the country in opponent points per scoring attempt (shots/FT trips) at 0.78, fourth in opponent points per play (shot/FT trip/turnover) at 0.60 and seventhth in opponent points per 100 possessions at 71.2.
• The Gophers held their first five opponents to 53 points or fewer, the longest stretch of such games since the 2004-05 season when they also did it in five straight.
SERIES WITH INCARNATE WORD
• Minnesota and Incarnate Word will meet for the first time on Wednesday, one of six new opponents for the Gophers this year, along with New Hampshire, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Cornell and Syracuse, whom the Gophers have already beaten this year, and Coppin State.
• In its history, the Gophers are 4-5 against teams from the Southland Conference, though only two of those games have taken place since the 2002-03 season. Minnesota is 2-0 at home against Southland teams.
• The last time Minnesota faced a Southland Conference team came in the season opener of the 2014-15 season in a 109-60 win over Southeastern Louisiana. In that game, Rachel Banham recorded her 2000th career point.
• In its history, the Gophers are 4-5 against teams from the Southland Conference, though only two of those games have taken place since the 2002-03 season. Minnesota is 2-0 at home against Southland teams.
• The last time Minnesota faced a Southland Conference team came in the season opener of the 2014-15 season in a 109-60 win over Southeastern Louisiana. In that game, Rachel Banham recorded her 2000th career point.
RECAPPING THE WIN OVER AIR FORCE
• Leading by three early in the fourth quarter, Minnesota embarked on a 25-4 to put away Air Force in a 67-50 victory.
• Kenisha Bell led all scorers with a season-high 27 points and came a rebound shy of a double-double for the third straight contest. She also had a season-high six steals. She scored 12 points alone in the second quarter, the most by a Gopher in any quarter this year.
• Taiye Bello finished with 18 rebounds for the second consecutive game, 10 of which came in the first quarter. It was the fourth game this year where Bello had at least 18 rebounds.
• Kenisha Bell led all scorers with a season-high 27 points and came a rebound shy of a double-double for the third straight contest. She also had a season-high six steals. She scored 12 points alone in the second quarter, the most by a Gopher in any quarter this year.
• Taiye Bello finished with 18 rebounds for the second consecutive game, 10 of which came in the first quarter. It was the fourth game this year where Bello had at least 18 rebounds.
GOPHERS DEFENSE STRONG TO START SEASON
• Minnesota's scoring defense has been stellar so far this season and is a big reason the team is 7-0.• The 353 points allowed by Minnesota through the first seven games of the season is the third lowest opponent point total in program history.
• The Golden Gophers currently lead the Big Ten and rank seventh in the country in scoring defense by allowing just 50.4 points per game. For comparison, last season Minnesota finished the year ranked 335th by allowing 74.8 points per game.
• Additionally, the Gophers are fifth in the country in rebound margin (14.6), 16th in defensive rebounds per game (31), 25th in opponent field goal percentage (33.8) and 30th in scoring margin (+19.4).
• Some of the advanced metrics, via HerHoopStats.com, also illustrate how strong the Gopher defense has been this year. Minnesota ranks third in the country in opponent points per scoring attempt (shots/FT trips) at 0.78, fourth in opponent points per play (shot/FT trip/turnover) at 0.60 and seventhth in opponent points per 100 possessions at 71.2.
• The Gophers held their first five opponents to 53 points or fewer, the longest stretch of such games since the 2004-05 season when they also did it in five straight.
BELLO DOMINATING THE GLASS
• Junior Taiye Bello posted double-doubles in the first three games this season. She was the first Minnesota player to have three straight double-doubles since Amanda Zahui B. ended the 2014-15 season with four in a row. Bello has eight in her career, with Minnesota going 8-0 in those games.
• Bello is the only player in the country to have four games this year with at least 18 rebounds.
• Bello finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds in the season opener vs. New Hampshire. She followed that up with 11 points and 16 rebounds at Xavier and had her double-double by halftime with 10 points and 13 rebounds in the first 20 minutes. Next game out against San Diego, she had 13 points and 18 rebounds.
• Though she didn't have a double-double against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, she did have a career-high 19 rebounds, which were the most by a Gopher since Zahui B. had 22 against DePaul in the NCAA Tournament on March 20, 2015.
• Arguably Bello's best performance came against No. 12 Syracuse when she went for a career-high 20 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, including 10 offensive.
• She followed that with 18 rebounds against Air Force, 10 of which came in the first quarter.
• Bello is the only player in the country to have four games this year with at least 18 rebounds.
• Bello finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds in the season opener vs. New Hampshire. She followed that up with 11 points and 16 rebounds at Xavier and had her double-double by halftime with 10 points and 13 rebounds in the first 20 minutes. Next game out against San Diego, she had 13 points and 18 rebounds.
• Though she didn't have a double-double against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, she did have a career-high 19 rebounds, which were the most by a Gopher since Zahui B. had 22 against DePaul in the NCAA Tournament on March 20, 2015.
• Arguably Bello's best performance came against No. 12 Syracuse when she went for a career-high 20 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, including 10 offensive.
• She followed that with 18 rebounds against Air Force, 10 of which came in the first quarter.
GOPHERS PLAYING WITH THE LEAD
• The Golden Gophers have spent very little time playing from behind this season. Of the 280 minutes played through six games this year, Minnesota has played with the lead for 242:22 and trailed for just a total of 24:58.
• In four of the seven games this year the Gophers have led wire-to-wire. The majority of the team's time trailing came against San Diego (20:13), while the rest was versus No. 12 Syracuse (3:07) and Air Force (1:38).
• In four of the seven games this year the Gophers have led wire-to-wire. The majority of the team's time trailing came against San Diego (20:13), while the rest was versus No. 12 Syracuse (3:07) and Air Force (1:38).
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