University of Minnesota Athletics
Wednesday, January 9
East Lansing, Mich.
6:00 PM
University of Minnesota
68
at
86
Michigan State
1
2
3
4
F
Minnesota
16
13
27
12
68
Michigan St.
19
24
24
19
86
Gophers Fall in Top-25 Tilt at Michigan State
1/9/2019 8:46:00 PM | Women's Basketball
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- In a matchup of Top-25 teams, No. 18/20 Minnesota (12-3, 1-3 B1G) fell at No. 23/24 Michigan State (12-3, 2-2) Wednesday night by a score of 86-68 at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich.
Senior Kenisha Bell led three Gophers in double figures with a team-high 20 points and a team-best eight rebounds.
Sophomore Destiny Pitts, a Detroit, Mich., native, scored 15 points with seven rebounds, while junior Jasmine Brunson added 11 points.
The Gophers shot 45.5 percent from the floor, but the Spartans shot 48.6 percent and had four in double figures, led by Sidney Cooks' career-high 21 points.
Minnesota scored the final seven points of the opening quarter to trail 19-16, while a pair of free throws by Bell extended the run to 9-0 to open the second quarter and cut the lead to one. However, Michigan State immediately countered with a 12-3 run of its own and outscored the Gophers 24-13 in the frame to lead 43-29 at halftime.
In the second half, Minnesota busted out for 27 points in the third quarter, the third highest point total in any quarter this season. However, the Spartans scored 24 points of their own in the same frame to maintain a 67-56 advantage heading into the fourth. Minnesota was unable to get closer than that 11-point margin over the rest of the game.
Minnesota is back home Monday for another Top-25 matchup when it hosts No. 17/17 Iowa (11-3, 2-1 B1G) at Williams Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. on ESPN2.
Senior Kenisha Bell led three Gophers in double figures with a team-high 20 points and a team-best eight rebounds.
Sophomore Destiny Pitts, a Detroit, Mich., native, scored 15 points with seven rebounds, while junior Jasmine Brunson added 11 points.
The Gophers shot 45.5 percent from the floor, but the Spartans shot 48.6 percent and had four in double figures, led by Sidney Cooks' career-high 21 points.
Minnesota scored the final seven points of the opening quarter to trail 19-16, while a pair of free throws by Bell extended the run to 9-0 to open the second quarter and cut the lead to one. However, Michigan State immediately countered with a 12-3 run of its own and outscored the Gophers 24-13 in the frame to lead 43-29 at halftime.
In the second half, Minnesota busted out for 27 points in the third quarter, the third highest point total in any quarter this season. However, the Spartans scored 24 points of their own in the same frame to maintain a 67-56 advantage heading into the fourth. Minnesota was unable to get closer than that 11-point margin over the rest of the game.
Minnesota is back home Monday for another Top-25 matchup when it hosts No. 17/17 Iowa (11-3, 2-1 B1G) at Williams Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. on ESPN2.
Team Stats
F-428
F-416
FG%
.455
.486
3FG%
.091
.304
FT%
.895
.750
RB
36
36
TO
19
8
STL
3
9
Game Leaders
Pts
20
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
8
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG/F
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