University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, December 21
12:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Lehigh
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
F/C
/ Women's Basketball
Photo by: Craig Lassig
Non-Conference Play Concludes Saturday with Visit from Lehigh
12/18/2019 4:24:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MINNEAPOLIS -- Winners of nine straight, RV/RV Minnesota (9-1) closes out its non-conference schedule Saturday afternoon against Lehigh (7-2). The game, which starts at noon, can be seen on BTN Plus and the Gophers' radio home, 96.7 KFAN Plus.
PROMOTIONS
THE OPENING TIP-OFF
FACING LEHIGH
RECAPPING THE WIN VS. UC DAVIS
FRESHMEN POWELL, SCALIA MAKING INSTANT IMPACT
GOPHERS WINNING TURNOVER BATTLE
• Converting turnovers into points has been a trend for the Gophers all season. They have turned 203 takeaways into 252 points this year, an average of 1.24 points for every turnover forced.
PROMOTIONS
• Holiday Toy Drive: Donate a new & unopened toy to underprivileged youth in the Twin Cities community.
THE OPENING TIP-OFF
• Last week was historic for junior Destiny Pitts. Not only was she named the Big Ten Player of the Week for the first time in her career, but she also became just the second player in Gophers' history to be the USBWA National Player of the Week, joining Rachel Banham who did it in Feb. of 2016. Pitts averaged 21.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game as the Gophers went 2-0 last week with wins over George Washington and UC Davis.
• Senior Taiye Bello has posted double-doubles in six of the team's 10 games this year, including a stretch of four straight at one point. Her six double-doubles lead the Big Ten and are seventh nationally. In her career, Bello has 21 double-doubles to rank sixth in Gophers history, and the Gophers are 19-2 in those games. She is just one of 28 players in the country, and only one of two from the Big Ten, to be averaging a double-double. Even better, she's one of just 15 players nationally with her averages of at least 14.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game this year.
• After falling in the season opener to a Missouri State team that currently ranks 20th in the AP Poll, Minnesota has rattled off nine straight wins. That's the seventh longest win streak in program history and the longest since the team opened the 2018-19 season with 12 straight victories. Nationally, only Arizona (16), Florida State (10) and NC State (10) are currently on longer win streaks than the Gophers.
• Minnesota is looking to finish the non-conference schedule with a 10-1 record. That would mark the third straight year that the Gophers had won at least 10 non-conference games during the regular season and would be the 10th time overall in program history. A .909 win percentage out of conference would tie for the fifth best in team annals. Last year Minnesota went 11-0 during non-conference regular season games, making Lindsay Whalen 20-1 in such games in her career.
• A 10-1 record would also be the fifth best one-loss start in program annals. Minnesota started 15-1 in both 2002-03 and 2003-04, while in 2014-15 it began the year 14-1. A year ago, the Gophers started the season 12-1.
• The Gophers' current 9-1 record tied for the fourth best 10-game start in team history. They also started 9-1 in 2014-15 and 2017-18, while the only 10-0 beginnings came in 2002-03, 2003-04 and last season.
• Minnesota is receiving votes in both the latest AP Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll, coming in at 28th in each. The Golden Gophers have appeared in every poll so far this season.
• Senior Taiye Bello has posted double-doubles in six of the team's 10 games this year, including a stretch of four straight at one point. Her six double-doubles lead the Big Ten and are seventh nationally. In her career, Bello has 21 double-doubles to rank sixth in Gophers history, and the Gophers are 19-2 in those games. She is just one of 28 players in the country, and only one of two from the Big Ten, to be averaging a double-double. Even better, she's one of just 15 players nationally with her averages of at least 14.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game this year.
• After falling in the season opener to a Missouri State team that currently ranks 20th in the AP Poll, Minnesota has rattled off nine straight wins. That's the seventh longest win streak in program history and the longest since the team opened the 2018-19 season with 12 straight victories. Nationally, only Arizona (16), Florida State (10) and NC State (10) are currently on longer win streaks than the Gophers.
• Minnesota is looking to finish the non-conference schedule with a 10-1 record. That would mark the third straight year that the Gophers had won at least 10 non-conference games during the regular season and would be the 10th time overall in program history. A .909 win percentage out of conference would tie for the fifth best in team annals. Last year Minnesota went 11-0 during non-conference regular season games, making Lindsay Whalen 20-1 in such games in her career.
• A 10-1 record would also be the fifth best one-loss start in program annals. Minnesota started 15-1 in both 2002-03 and 2003-04, while in 2014-15 it began the year 14-1. A year ago, the Gophers started the season 12-1.
• The Gophers' current 9-1 record tied for the fourth best 10-game start in team history. They also started 9-1 in 2014-15 and 2017-18, while the only 10-0 beginnings came in 2002-03, 2003-04 and last season.
• Minnesota is receiving votes in both the latest AP Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll, coming in at 28th in each. The Golden Gophers have appeared in every poll so far this season.
FACING LEHIGH
• Saturday marks just the second ever meeting between the Gophers and Mountain Hawks.
• Minnesota won the only previous meeting on Nov. 11, 2017, with a 107-73 victory in Minneapolis. Then a sophomore, Gadiva Hubbard tied for the team lead with 22 points in the win, while then-freshman Destiny Pitts added 12 points in her collegiate debut.
• Lehigh has six Minnesotans on its roster: senior Hannah Hedstrom from Minnetonka (Minnetonka HS), junior Mariah Sexe from Woodbury (East Ridge HS), sophomores Emma Grothaus from Mahtomedi (Mahtomedi HS) and Megan Walker from Rogers (Minnetonka HS), and freshmen Anna Harvey from Lakeville (Lakeville South HS) and Frannie Hottinger from Inver Grove Heights (Cretin-Derham Hall HS).
• Lehigh has two players averaging double figures. Camryn Buhr is the team's leading scorer at 14.1 points per game and the top rebounder at 8.2 boards per contest. Also in double figures is Cameryn Benz (10.0).
• Lehigh started the season 5-0 but has since gone 2-2 in its last four contests. The Mountain Hawks, who have not played since Dec. 8, have one common opponent with Minnesota in George Washington. The Gophers beat the Colonials on the road, 83-50, on Dec. 10, while Lehigh won at home over GW, 59-53, on Nov. 13.
• Minnesota won the only previous meeting on Nov. 11, 2017, with a 107-73 victory in Minneapolis. Then a sophomore, Gadiva Hubbard tied for the team lead with 22 points in the win, while then-freshman Destiny Pitts added 12 points in her collegiate debut.
• Lehigh has six Minnesotans on its roster: senior Hannah Hedstrom from Minnetonka (Minnetonka HS), junior Mariah Sexe from Woodbury (East Ridge HS), sophomores Emma Grothaus from Mahtomedi (Mahtomedi HS) and Megan Walker from Rogers (Minnetonka HS), and freshmen Anna Harvey from Lakeville (Lakeville South HS) and Frannie Hottinger from Inver Grove Heights (Cretin-Derham Hall HS).
• Lehigh has two players averaging double figures. Camryn Buhr is the team's leading scorer at 14.1 points per game and the top rebounder at 8.2 boards per contest. Also in double figures is Cameryn Benz (10.0).
• Lehigh started the season 5-0 but has since gone 2-2 in its last four contests. The Mountain Hawks, who have not played since Dec. 8, have one common opponent with Minnesota in George Washington. The Gophers beat the Colonials on the road, 83-50, on Dec. 10, while Lehigh won at home over GW, 59-53, on Nov. 13.
RECAPPING THE WIN VS. UC DAVIS
• Destiny Pitts and Gadiva Hubbard each scored at least 20 points as Minnesota ran its win streak to nine games with a 76-67 win over UC Davis Sunday afternoon.
• Hubbard scored a season-high 24 points thanks to 4-of-7 shooting from 3-point range and 6-of-8 shooting at the free throw line. It was her best scoring outing since going for 25 points against Penn State in Feb. of 2018. Hubbard also tied a season best with five rebounds.
• Pitts had her team-leading fourth game this year with at least 20 points as she finished with 22 and a season-high nine rebounds. She was a perfect 9-of-9 at the free throw line, the most makes without a miss by a Gopher this year.
• Tied at 23-23 with 7:37 to play in the first half, Minnesota embarked on an immediate 10-3 run and an extended 17-8 stretch to close out the first half. Hubbard and Pitts combined for 27 first-half points as Minnesota led 40-31 at the break.
• The lead was 11 for Minnesota with 2:43 to go, but the Aggies scored 12 of the next 13 points to trail by only four with 31 seconds to go. Pitts made a pair of free throws to push the lead to six, grabbed a defensive rebound on the other end after a missed Aggies 3-pointer and then made two more free throws to put the game away.
OFFENSE UP IN YEAR TWO UNDER WHALEN
• Hubbard scored a season-high 24 points thanks to 4-of-7 shooting from 3-point range and 6-of-8 shooting at the free throw line. It was her best scoring outing since going for 25 points against Penn State in Feb. of 2018. Hubbard also tied a season best with five rebounds.
• Pitts had her team-leading fourth game this year with at least 20 points as she finished with 22 and a season-high nine rebounds. She was a perfect 9-of-9 at the free throw line, the most makes without a miss by a Gopher this year.
• Tied at 23-23 with 7:37 to play in the first half, Minnesota embarked on an immediate 10-3 run and an extended 17-8 stretch to close out the first half. Hubbard and Pitts combined for 27 first-half points as Minnesota led 40-31 at the break.
• The lead was 11 for Minnesota with 2:43 to go, but the Aggies scored 12 of the next 13 points to trail by only four with 31 seconds to go. Pitts made a pair of free throws to push the lead to six, grabbed a defensive rebound on the other end after a missed Aggies 3-pointer and then made two more free throws to put the game away.
OFFENSE UP IN YEAR TWO UNDER WHALEN
• Through 10 games, the Minnesota offense has picked up its scoring and production in year two under head coach Lindsay Whalen.
• The Gophers are averaging 79.2 points per game this year, nearly seven points better than the 72.5 points they were averaging at this same stage a season ago.
• Two areas where Minnesota has seen improvement are from 3-point range and at the free-throw line. The Gophers' field goal percentage on 3-pointers is over 50 points better than last year even though they have 75 more attempts this year.
• Individually, Destiny Pitts is shooting 44.8 percent (30-67) on 3-pointers this year, after making 42.9 percent (24-56) through 10 games a year ago. In addition, freshman Sara Scalia (44.7%) and redshirt junior Gadiva Hubbard (40.7%), who missed last year with an injury, have bolstered the 3-point shooting.
• Minnesota is also 140 points better on free throws as it leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth nationally as the Gophers are shooting 80.3 from the line. That would shatter the program record of .763 set in 2009-10.
• At the line, six Gophers have attempted at least 10 free throws this year and all are shooting better than 75 percent. Last year at this stage, of the six players with at least 10 attempts, only two were above 66 percent.
• The Gophers are averaging 79.2 points per game this year, nearly seven points better than the 72.5 points they were averaging at this same stage a season ago.
• Two areas where Minnesota has seen improvement are from 3-point range and at the free-throw line. The Gophers' field goal percentage on 3-pointers is over 50 points better than last year even though they have 75 more attempts this year.
• Individually, Destiny Pitts is shooting 44.8 percent (30-67) on 3-pointers this year, after making 42.9 percent (24-56) through 10 games a year ago. In addition, freshman Sara Scalia (44.7%) and redshirt junior Gadiva Hubbard (40.7%), who missed last year with an injury, have bolstered the 3-point shooting.
• Minnesota is also 140 points better on free throws as it leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth nationally as the Gophers are shooting 80.3 from the line. That would shatter the program record of .763 set in 2009-10.
• At the line, six Gophers have attempted at least 10 free throws this year and all are shooting better than 75 percent. Last year at this stage, of the six players with at least 10 attempts, only two were above 66 percent.
FRESHMEN POWELL, SCALIA MAKING INSTANT IMPACT
• Sara Scalia, who has started each of the last nine contests, is tied for the team lead in free throw percentage (.909), is second in 3-point percentage (.447) and field goal percentage (.474), third in rebounding (3.8) and minutes per game (28.6) and fourth in scoring (10.1).
• Against Bryant on Nov. 26, she scored a 20 points and tied a career high with seven rebounds en route to being named B1G Freshman of the Week. She later followed that up at George Washington on Dec. 10 when she set or tied multiple career highs, including points (23), rebounds (7), steals (4) and blocks (2).
• Jasmine Powell, who has come off the bench in all nine games, is fifth on the team in scoring at 9.5 points per game and has a 2.38-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, which ranks fifth in the Big Ten. She's also 31-of-37 (.838) at the line to rank second on the team in free throws made and attempted.
• Powell put up 19 points against Vermont on Nov. 10, the most by a non-starter at Minnesota since teammate Destiny Pitts had 20 on Nov. 16, 2017, and has scored in double figures in four games this year.
• With Scalia averaging 10.1 points per game and Powell at 9.5, the Gophers' duo is showing the makings of one of the top freshman scoring combinations in recent program history. In the last 10 years, Minnesota has not seen two freshmen score average more than 6.2 points per game in the same season.
• Additionally, the four freshmen that have played this year, including Klarke Sconiers (3.8 ppg) and Barbora Tomancova (1.0), have combined for 24.4 points per game, the highest figure among Gopher freshmen in the last 10 years.
• Against Bryant on Nov. 26, she scored a 20 points and tied a career high with seven rebounds en route to being named B1G Freshman of the Week. She later followed that up at George Washington on Dec. 10 when she set or tied multiple career highs, including points (23), rebounds (7), steals (4) and blocks (2).
• Jasmine Powell, who has come off the bench in all nine games, is fifth on the team in scoring at 9.5 points per game and has a 2.38-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, which ranks fifth in the Big Ten. She's also 31-of-37 (.838) at the line to rank second on the team in free throws made and attempted.
• Powell put up 19 points against Vermont on Nov. 10, the most by a non-starter at Minnesota since teammate Destiny Pitts had 20 on Nov. 16, 2017, and has scored in double figures in four games this year.
• With Scalia averaging 10.1 points per game and Powell at 9.5, the Gophers' duo is showing the makings of one of the top freshman scoring combinations in recent program history. In the last 10 years, Minnesota has not seen two freshmen score average more than 6.2 points per game in the same season.
• Additionally, the four freshmen that have played this year, including Klarke Sconiers (3.8 ppg) and Barbora Tomancova (1.0), have combined for 24.4 points per game, the highest figure among Gopher freshmen in the last 10 years.
GOPHERS WINNING TURNOVER BATTLE
• Minnesota is winning the turnover battle so far, forcing 203 turnovers while giving the ball away just 122 times through 10 games.
• Not only do the Gophers rank second in the Big Ten and ninth nationally with with just 12.2 turnovers committed per game, they also rank third in the league in turnover margin (+8.10; 16th nationally) and turnovers forced per game (20.30; 49th nationally).
• In terms of taking care of the ball, against Vermont on Nov. 10 the Gophers only committed five turnovers, which tied for the third fewest in program history. The Gophers have had three games this year with less than 10 turnovers and only three contests where it has turned the ball over more than 13 times.
• Five times this year Minnesota has forced opponents into at least 20 turnovers. Against Milwaukee on Nov. 14, Minnesota forced the Panthers into 33 turnovers, which tied for the 10th most forced in program history. The Gophers then turned those 33 turnovers into 35 points.
• Not only do the Gophers rank second in the Big Ten and ninth nationally with with just 12.2 turnovers committed per game, they also rank third in the league in turnover margin (+8.10; 16th nationally) and turnovers forced per game (20.30; 49th nationally).
• In terms of taking care of the ball, against Vermont on Nov. 10 the Gophers only committed five turnovers, which tied for the third fewest in program history. The Gophers have had three games this year with less than 10 turnovers and only three contests where it has turned the ball over more than 13 times.
• Five times this year Minnesota has forced opponents into at least 20 turnovers. Against Milwaukee on Nov. 14, Minnesota forced the Panthers into 33 turnovers, which tied for the 10th most forced in program history. The Gophers then turned those 33 turnovers into 35 points.
• Converting turnovers into points has been a trend for the Gophers all season. They have turned 203 takeaways into 252 points this year, an average of 1.24 points for every turnover forced.
IN THE POLLS
• Minnesota is receiving votes in both the latest AP Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll, coming in at 28th in both.
• The Gophers stayed in their same spot as last week in the AP Poll with 20 points, and moved up one place with 13 points in the Coaches Poll.
• Nine of the Gophers' opponents this season currently appear in at least one of the two Top-25 polls. Indiana (12 AP/14 Coaches), Maryland (13/11), Michigan State (19/23), Missouri State (20/17), Michigan (24/22) and Arizona State (RV/RV) all appear in both polls.
• Meanwhile, Ohio State and Rutgers are receiving votes in just the AP poll, while Northwestern is receiving votes in only the Coaches poll.
• The Gophers stayed in their same spot as last week in the AP Poll with 20 points, and moved up one place with 13 points in the Coaches Poll.
• Nine of the Gophers' opponents this season currently appear in at least one of the two Top-25 polls. Indiana (12 AP/14 Coaches), Maryland (13/11), Michigan State (19/23), Missouri State (20/17), Michigan (24/22) and Arizona State (RV/RV) all appear in both polls.
• Meanwhile, Ohio State and Rutgers are receiving votes in just the AP poll, while Northwestern is receiving votes in only the Coaches poll.
Cinematic Recap: Gophers-Wyoming
Tuesday, December 16
Highlights: Gophers 80, Wyoming 34
Sunday, December 14
Cinematic Recap: Gophers-Alabama A&M
Friday, December 12
Highlights: Gophers 82, Alabama A&M 44
Wednesday, December 10