University of Minnesota Athletics
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/ Women's Basketball
Gophers to Host Northern Iowa Friday in WNIT
3/18/2019 8:43:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota women's basketball team has accepted an invitation to play in the 22nd annual Women's National Invitation Tournament and will host Northern Iowa Friday at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are on sale now for Minnesota women's basketball season ticket holders at GopherSports.com. Gopher Score members can begin buying tickets Tuesday at noon. Season ticket holders and Gopher Score members will need to sign in to be able to purchase via the presale.
Sales for the general public will start at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Tickets can be purchased online, over the phone at 612-624-8080 or in person from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the 3M Arena at Mariucci Ticket Office.
Minnesota is making its fifth appearance in the WNIT, also participating in the tournament in 2007, 2013, 2014 and 2016. The Golden Gophers are 4-4 all-time in the event, including a run to the Sweet 16 in 2014.
Holding a record of 20-10 overall and 9-9 in Big Ten play, Minnesota has recorded the 14th 20-win season in program history. Additionally, the Golden Gophers finished at .500 or better in the Big Ten for the fifth time in the last six seasons and 17th time in team history. Lindsay Whalen is the fifth head coach in program history to win at least 20 games in her first season.
The Gophers have been led by senior Kenisha Bell and sophomore Destiny Pitts.
Bell was a consensus All-Big Ten First Team selection and was placed on the All-Big Ten Defensive Team as she leads the team with 18.8 points, 4.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game. She's also averaging 5.9 rebounds per contest and leads the Big Ten in free throws made and attempted. It's the second straight season that Bell has been named an All-Big Ten First Team honoree by the league's coaches, who voted for her unanimously, and the media.
Pitts was named an All-Big Ten First Team honoree by the league's media and a Second Team selection by the Big Ten coaches. She's second on the team in scoring at 16.0 points per game and has notched at least 21 points in each of the last seven games. During her run, Pitts is averaging 24.1 points per game over her last seven games while shooting 46.9 percent from the floor, 38.3 percent on 3-pointers and 93.0 percent on free throws.
Northern Iowa enters Friday's matchup with a 20-12 overall record and 12-6 mark within the Missouri Valley Conference. The team's top scorer is Karli Rucker at 14.7 points per game, while Bre Gunnels has a team-best 4.8 rebounds per contest.
Minnesota is a perfect 10-0 all-time against Northern Iowa, its most wins against an opponent without a loss, including 5-0 at home. The teams last met during the 2013-14 season when the Gophers won in Cedar Falls, 73-55.
The Postseason WNIT is owned and produced by Triple Crown Sports, based in Fort Collins, Colo. TCS also organizes men's and women's college basketball tournaments in Cancun, and the Preseason WNIT.
Tickets are on sale now for Minnesota women's basketball season ticket holders at GopherSports.com. Gopher Score members can begin buying tickets Tuesday at noon. Season ticket holders and Gopher Score members will need to sign in to be able to purchase via the presale.
Sales for the general public will start at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Tickets can be purchased online, over the phone at 612-624-8080 or in person from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the 3M Arena at Mariucci Ticket Office.
Minnesota is making its fifth appearance in the WNIT, also participating in the tournament in 2007, 2013, 2014 and 2016. The Golden Gophers are 4-4 all-time in the event, including a run to the Sweet 16 in 2014.
Holding a record of 20-10 overall and 9-9 in Big Ten play, Minnesota has recorded the 14th 20-win season in program history. Additionally, the Golden Gophers finished at .500 or better in the Big Ten for the fifth time in the last six seasons and 17th time in team history. Lindsay Whalen is the fifth head coach in program history to win at least 20 games in her first season.
The Gophers have been led by senior Kenisha Bell and sophomore Destiny Pitts.
Bell was a consensus All-Big Ten First Team selection and was placed on the All-Big Ten Defensive Team as she leads the team with 18.8 points, 4.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game. She's also averaging 5.9 rebounds per contest and leads the Big Ten in free throws made and attempted. It's the second straight season that Bell has been named an All-Big Ten First Team honoree by the league's coaches, who voted for her unanimously, and the media.
Pitts was named an All-Big Ten First Team honoree by the league's media and a Second Team selection by the Big Ten coaches. She's second on the team in scoring at 16.0 points per game and has notched at least 21 points in each of the last seven games. During her run, Pitts is averaging 24.1 points per game over her last seven games while shooting 46.9 percent from the floor, 38.3 percent on 3-pointers and 93.0 percent on free throws.
Northern Iowa enters Friday's matchup with a 20-12 overall record and 12-6 mark within the Missouri Valley Conference. The team's top scorer is Karli Rucker at 14.7 points per game, while Bre Gunnels has a team-best 4.8 rebounds per contest.
Minnesota is a perfect 10-0 all-time against Northern Iowa, its most wins against an opponent without a loss, including 5-0 at home. The teams last met during the 2013-14 season when the Gophers won in Cedar Falls, 73-55.
The Postseason WNIT is owned and produced by Triple Crown Sports, based in Fort Collins, Colo. TCS also organizes men's and women's college basketball tournaments in Cancun, and the Preseason WNIT.
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