University of Minnesota Athletics
Tuesday, December 10
Washington, D.C
6:00 PM
University of Minnesota
at
George Washington
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
Photo by: Brad Rempel
Road Trip Concludes Tuesday at George Washington
12/9/2019 8:06:00 PM | Women's Basketball
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Winners of seven straight, which is tied for the ninth longest streak in program history, RV/RV Minnesota (7-1) concludes its three-game road swing Tuesday when it visits George Washington (6-3). The game, which tips at 6 p.m. CT, can be seen on ESPN+ and heard on the Gophers' radio home, 96.7 KFAN Plus.
THE OPENING TIP-OFF
RECAPPING THE WIN AT AMERICAN
FRESHMEN POWELL, SCALIA MAKING INSTANT IMPACT
• Converting turnovers into points has been a trend for the Gophers all season. They have turned those 164 takeaways into 200 points this year, an average of 1.22 points for every turnover forced.
THE OPENING TIP-OFF
• Minnesota's stretch of three straight true road games is its longest since visiting Wisconsin, Iowa and Purdue in late January and early February of 2018. The last time the Gophers played three straight road games out-of-conference was late November and early December of 2007 when they played at Hawaii, Virginia Tech and Charlotte.
• Minnesota is receiving votes in both the latest AP Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll. The Gophers were ranked No. 23 to start the year in the AP Preseason Poll. It was the fifth time in program history they had been ranked in the AP Preseason Poll and the first since they were No. 16 in 2005-06.
• Senior Taiye Bello, the reigning co-Big Ten Player of the Week, has posted double-doubles in six of the team's eight games this year, including each of the last four games. Her six double-doubles lead the Big Ten and are sixth in the nation. 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 the only one from the Big Ten, to be averaging a double-double. Even better, she's one of just 14 players nationally with her averages of at least 14.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game this year.
• Though only eight games have been played, the Minnesota offense has picked up its scoring and production in year two under head coach Lindsay Whalen. The Gophers are averaging 79.1 points per game this year, nearly nine points better than the 70.5 points they were averaging at this same stage a season ago. Two areas where Minnesota has already seen improvement are from 3-point range and at the free-throw line. The Gophers' field goal percentage on 3-pointers is 80 points better than last year even though they have 62 more attempts this year, and they are shooting 148 points better on free throws. The Gophers lead the Big Ten and rank sixth nationally as they shoot 79.6 from the line.
• Individually, Destiny Pitts is shooting 42.0 percent (21-50) on 3-pointers this year, after making just 31.8 percent (14-44) through eight games a year ago. In addition, freshman Sara Scalia (43.3%) and redshirt junior Gadiva Hubbard (40.0%), who missed last year with an injury, have bolstered the 3-point shooting. Meanwhile at the line, five Gophers have attempted at least 10 free throws this year and all are shooting better than 73 percent, including Pitts (87.5), Jasmine Powell (83.9) and Taiye Bello (78.8), who rank 1-3-7 in the B1G in free throw percentage. Last year at this stage, of the six players with at least 10 attempts, only two were above 69 percent.
FACING GEORGE WASHINGTON
• Minnesota is receiving votes in both the latest AP Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll. The Gophers were ranked No. 23 to start the year in the AP Preseason Poll. It was the fifth time in program history they had been ranked in the AP Preseason Poll and the first since they were No. 16 in 2005-06.
• Senior Taiye Bello, the reigning co-Big Ten Player of the Week, has posted double-doubles in six of the team's eight games this year, including each of the last four games. Her six double-doubles lead the Big Ten and are sixth in the nation. 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 the only one from the Big Ten, to be averaging a double-double. Even better, she's one of just 14 players nationally with her averages of at least 14.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game this year.
• Though only eight games have been played, the Minnesota offense has picked up its scoring and production in year two under head coach Lindsay Whalen. The Gophers are averaging 79.1 points per game this year, nearly nine points better than the 70.5 points they were averaging at this same stage a season ago. Two areas where Minnesota has already seen improvement are from 3-point range and at the free-throw line. The Gophers' field goal percentage on 3-pointers is 80 points better than last year even though they have 62 more attempts this year, and they are shooting 148 points better on free throws. The Gophers lead the Big Ten and rank sixth nationally as they shoot 79.6 from the line.
• Individually, Destiny Pitts is shooting 42.0 percent (21-50) on 3-pointers this year, after making just 31.8 percent (14-44) through eight games a year ago. In addition, freshman Sara Scalia (43.3%) and redshirt junior Gadiva Hubbard (40.0%), who missed last year with an injury, have bolstered the 3-point shooting. Meanwhile at the line, five Gophers have attempted at least 10 free throws this year and all are shooting better than 73 percent, including Pitts (87.5), Jasmine Powell (83.9) and Taiye Bello (78.8), who rank 1-3-7 in the B1G in free throw percentage. Last year at this stage, of the six players with at least 10 attempts, only two were above 69 percent.
FACING GEORGE WASHINGTON
• Tuesday marks the first ever meeting between the Gophers and Colonials.
• George Washington is one of five teams Minnesota is playing for the first time ever this season. The Gophers have already beaten Montana State and Bryant and lost to Missouri State, while UC Davis (12/15) is still to come on the schedule.
• The Golden Gophers are 13-3 all-time against teams currently in the Atlantic-10 and have won four in a row against those teams.
• The last meeting for Minnesota against an A-10 team came last season in a 91-71 win over Rhode Island on Dec. 22, 2018.
• During the current four-game win streak against the A-10, which dates to 2015-16, Minnesota has won those games by an average of nearly 25 points (90.0-65.8).
• George Washington has one Minnesotan on its roster: sophomore Maddie Loder from Orono (Orono HS). For Minnesota, assistant coach Danielle O'Banion hails from Arlington, Va., which is about 15 minutes from the George Washington campus.
• GW's Director of Operations Christina Richardson was a graduate assistant at Mississippi State during hte 2016-17 season when Minnesota's Carly Thibault-DuDonis was an assistant with the Bulldogs.
• George Washington started the season 2-3, but has since won four straight. The Colonials and Gophers don't have any common opponents, but two of GW's losses this year have come against teams still ahead on Minnesota's schedule: Lehigh and Maryland.
• Sydney Zambrotta is the top scorer for George Washington at 13.3 points per game, though she hasn't played in the last six contests. Tori Hyduke (13.2) and Alexandra Maund (10.0) are also averaging double figures, while Mayowa Taiwo is the top rebounder at 6.1 boards per game.
• George Washington is one of five teams Minnesota is playing for the first time ever this season. The Gophers have already beaten Montana State and Bryant and lost to Missouri State, while UC Davis (12/15) is still to come on the schedule.
• The Golden Gophers are 13-3 all-time against teams currently in the Atlantic-10 and have won four in a row against those teams.
• The last meeting for Minnesota against an A-10 team came last season in a 91-71 win over Rhode Island on Dec. 22, 2018.
• During the current four-game win streak against the A-10, which dates to 2015-16, Minnesota has won those games by an average of nearly 25 points (90.0-65.8).
• George Washington has one Minnesotan on its roster: sophomore Maddie Loder from Orono (Orono HS). For Minnesota, assistant coach Danielle O'Banion hails from Arlington, Va., which is about 15 minutes from the George Washington campus.
• GW's Director of Operations Christina Richardson was a graduate assistant at Mississippi State during hte 2016-17 season when Minnesota's Carly Thibault-DuDonis was an assistant with the Bulldogs.
• George Washington started the season 2-3, but has since won four straight. The Colonials and Gophers don't have any common opponents, but two of GW's losses this year have come against teams still ahead on Minnesota's schedule: Lehigh and Maryland.
• Sydney Zambrotta is the top scorer for George Washington at 13.3 points per game, though she hasn't played in the last six contests. Tori Hyduke (13.2) and Alexandra Maund (10.0) are also averaging double figures, while Mayowa Taiwo is the top rebounder at 6.1 boards per game.
RECAPPING THE WIN AT AMERICAN
• Minnesota scored the final 15 points en route its seventh straight win in a 70-53 road victory over American Sunday in Washington, D.C.
• Taiye Bello recorded her fourth straight double-double and her sixth in eight games this year as she posted a career-high 25 points to go with 10 rebounds. Bello added three steals and a block as she went 9-of-14 from the floor and 7-of-10 at the line.
• Also in double figures for the Gophers were Jasmine Brunson, who finished with 12, and Sara Scalia, who contributed 10 and set a career high with four steals.
• Jasmine Powell filled the stat sheet with five points, five assists and a career-high eight rebounds. She entered the game with 10 total rebounds in seven games.
• American's 53 points were the fewest by a Gophers' opponent this year, as were its field goal percentage (30.6) and 30 rebounds. The Eagles made just 3-of-14 shots (21.4 percent) in the decisive fourth quarter as the Gophers outscored them 24-9. The nine points tied for the fewest scored in a quarter by an opponent this season.
• Taiye Bello recorded her fourth straight double-double and her sixth in eight games this year as she posted a career-high 25 points to go with 10 rebounds. Bello added three steals and a block as she went 9-of-14 from the floor and 7-of-10 at the line.
• Also in double figures for the Gophers were Jasmine Brunson, who finished with 12, and Sara Scalia, who contributed 10 and set a career high with four steals.
• Jasmine Powell filled the stat sheet with five points, five assists and a career-high eight rebounds. She entered the game with 10 total rebounds in seven games.
• American's 53 points were the fewest by a Gophers' opponent this year, as were its field goal percentage (30.6) and 30 rebounds. The Eagles made just 3-of-14 shots (21.4 percent) in the decisive fourth quarter as the Gophers outscored them 24-9. The nine points tied for the fewest scored in a quarter by an opponent this season.
FRESHMEN POWELL, SCALIA MAKING INSTANT IMPACT
• Minnesota has six freshmen on its 2019-20 roster and some are already making significant contributions.
• Jasmine Powell has come off the bench in all eight games, is fifth on the team in scoring at 10.1 points per game and has a 3.10-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, which ranks 15th nationally and is second in the Big Ten. She's also 26-of-31 (.839) at the free-throw line to tie for the team lead in free throws made and rank third in the conference in free-throw percentage.
• She 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.
• Sara Scalia has started each of the last seven contests and leads the team in 3-point percentage (.433), is second in field goal percentage (.459), third in rebounding (3.6) and sixth in scoring average (9.5).
• Against Bryant on Nov. 26, she scored a career-high 20 points and tied a career high with seven rebounds en route to being named B1G Freshman of the Week.
• With Powell averaging 10.1 points per game and Scalia 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.
GOPHERS WINNING TURNOVER BATTLE
• Jasmine Powell has come off the bench in all eight games, is fifth on the team in scoring at 10.1 points per game and has a 3.10-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, which ranks 15th nationally and is second in the Big Ten. She's also 26-of-31 (.839) at the free-throw line to tie for the team lead in free throws made and rank third in the conference in free-throw percentage.
• She 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.
• Sara Scalia has started each of the last seven contests and leads the team in 3-point percentage (.433), is second in field goal percentage (.459), third in rebounding (3.6) and sixth in scoring average (9.5).
• Against Bryant on Nov. 26, she scored a career-high 20 points and tied a career high with seven rebounds en route to being named B1G Freshman of the Week.
• With Powell averaging 10.1 points per game and Scalia 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.
GOPHERS WINNING TURNOVER BATTLE
• Minnesota is winning the turnover battle so far, forcing 164 turnovers while giving the ball away just 92 times through eight games.
• Not only do the Gophers rank second in the Big Ten and ninth nationally with a turnover margin of +9.0 per game, they also rank second in the league in turnovers committed per game (11.5; 10th nationally), and rank third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.33; 16th nationally) and turnovers forced per game (20.5; 45th 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, including two of the last three contests. Minnesota has only had two games this year where it has turned the ball over more than 13 times.
• 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 a turnover margin of +9.0 per game, they also rank second in the league in turnovers committed per game (11.5; 10th nationally), and rank third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.33; 16th nationally) and turnovers forced per game (20.5; 45th 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, including two of the last three contests. Minnesota has only had two games this year where it has turned the ball over more than 13 times.
• 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 those 164 takeaways into 200 points this year, an average of 1.22 points for every turnover forced.
IN THE POLLS
• Minnesota is receiving votes in both the latest AP Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll.
• The Gophers moved up two spots to come in 28th in the latest AP Poll with 19 points, while they are 32nd in the Coaches Poll with eight points.
• Eleven of the Gophers' opponents this season currently appear in at least one of the two Top-25 polls. Indiana (12/14), Maryland (13 AP/9 Coaches), Michigan State (19/21), Missouri State (20/18) and Michigan (24/25) are ranked in both polls, while Arizona State is receiving votes in both polls.
• Rutgers and Ohio State are receiving votes in just the AP Poll, while Notre Dame, Northwestern and Purdue are receiving votes in the Coaches poll.
• The Gophers moved up two spots to come in 28th in the latest AP Poll with 19 points, while they are 32nd in the Coaches Poll with eight points.
• Eleven of the Gophers' opponents this season currently appear in at least one of the two Top-25 polls. Indiana (12/14), Maryland (13 AP/9 Coaches), Michigan State (19/21), Missouri State (20/18) and Michigan (24/25) are ranked in both polls, while Arizona State is receiving votes in both polls.
• Rutgers and Ohio State are receiving votes in just the AP Poll, while Notre Dame, Northwestern and Purdue are receiving votes in the Coaches poll.
Making Connections: Sophie Hart & Zoey Bershers
Friday, October 17
Behind the Scenes: B1G Media Day
Tuesday, October 14
Braun & Battle at B1G Media Day
Wednesday, October 08
Coach Plitzuweit at B1G Media Day
Wednesday, October 08