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Gophers Close Out 2018-19 Season with Team Banquet
4/19/2019 2:12:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota women's basketball team celebrated its debut season under head coach Lindsay Whalen Thursday night with the team's annual banquet.
The team gathered in the DQ Club Room of TCF Bank Stadium with family, friends, staff members and fans to look back on the 2018-19 season and hand out awards. Minnesota finished the year with a 21-11 record overall and 9-9 mark in Big Ten play while reaching the second round of the WNIT.
Sophomore Destiny Pitts was recognized as the team's Offensive MVP after averaging 16.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. She ranked fifth in team single-season history in 3-pointers attempted (230) and free throw percentage (.838) and was sixth in 3-pointers made (81). At one point, she posted eight straight games with at least 20 points, the longest stretch by a Gopher since Rachel Banham had a streak of 20 in a row to end the 2015-16 season.
Senior Kenisha Bell was tabbed as the team's Defensive MVP as she ranked third in the Big Ten with 1.97 steals per game and fourth in the league with 63 total steals. A semifinalist for the Naismith Trophy Women's Defensive Player of the Year, Bell helped the Gophers hold opponents to just 60.5 points per game. That was the seventh best mark in program history, the lowest since the 2008-09 season and nearly 15 points better than last year's mark.
Pitts and Bell were also recipients of the Fast Break Club Award, which is given to a student-athlete that provides leadership and inspiration to teammates on and off the court, as well as recognizing and understanding the importance of fan support.
Like Pitts and Bell, senior Annalese Lamke was also the winner of two awards Thursday night. She first took home the Love of the Game Award, which is given by the Fast Break Club to the Gopher that is most visibly supportive of teammates. Lamke was then honored with the Leadership Award. One of three captains on the team, Lamke had the highest scoring increase of any Big Ten player this year, jumping from 1.1 points per game a year ago to 7.7 this year. In addition, she was the second-most improved rebounder in the Big Ten at +4.3 and posted higher numbers in her senior campaign than in her first three seasons combined.
Senior Irene Garrido Perez and junior Jasmine Brunson were co-winners of the Breakout Award.
All 14 of Garrido Perez's career starts came in the final 14 games of the season. Since making the first start of her career against Purdue on Jan. 24, Garrido Perez averaged 5.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.9 steals per game while playing 35.4 minutes per game. Prior to that, her career totals in those categories were 1.6 points, 0.6 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 0.2 steals while averaging 8.5 minutes.
Brunson played in 30 of 32 games with 27 starts and averaged 8.4 points per game after averaging 2.9 last season. That +5.5 increase was the second best in the Big Ten behind only Lamke (+6.6). No other player in the league was above an increase of 4.7.
The Outwork Award was presented to junior Taiye Bello. She started 31 of 32 games this year and led the team with 11.9 rebounds per game while averaging 9.7 points per contest. Bello set the Minnesota single-season record with 152 offensive rebounds, ranked fourth in team single-season history and tied for seventh in Big Ten history for total rebounds (380), fifth in rebound average and defensive rebounds (228), and seventh in blocks (49). Bello had 19 games this year with at least 10 rebounds, 11 games with at least 15 boards, seven games with at least 18 rebounds and one game with at least 20.
Bell and Pitts were also presented with their First-Team All-Big Ten awards, while Bell, Brunson, Lamke, Pitts, Kehinde Bello and Palma Kaposi were recognized for their Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Looking ahead to next season, Minnesota is scheduled to return eight members of this year's teams, including three of its top four scorers. In addition, it will be welcoming in Whalen's first recruiting class.
The team gathered in the DQ Club Room of TCF Bank Stadium with family, friends, staff members and fans to look back on the 2018-19 season and hand out awards. Minnesota finished the year with a 21-11 record overall and 9-9 mark in Big Ten play while reaching the second round of the WNIT.
Sophomore Destiny Pitts was recognized as the team's Offensive MVP after averaging 16.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. She ranked fifth in team single-season history in 3-pointers attempted (230) and free throw percentage (.838) and was sixth in 3-pointers made (81). At one point, she posted eight straight games with at least 20 points, the longest stretch by a Gopher since Rachel Banham had a streak of 20 in a row to end the 2015-16 season.
Senior Kenisha Bell was tabbed as the team's Defensive MVP as she ranked third in the Big Ten with 1.97 steals per game and fourth in the league with 63 total steals. A semifinalist for the Naismith Trophy Women's Defensive Player of the Year, Bell helped the Gophers hold opponents to just 60.5 points per game. That was the seventh best mark in program history, the lowest since the 2008-09 season and nearly 15 points better than last year's mark.
Pitts and Bell were also recipients of the Fast Break Club Award, which is given to a student-athlete that provides leadership and inspiration to teammates on and off the court, as well as recognizing and understanding the importance of fan support.
Like Pitts and Bell, senior Annalese Lamke was also the winner of two awards Thursday night. She first took home the Love of the Game Award, which is given by the Fast Break Club to the Gopher that is most visibly supportive of teammates. Lamke was then honored with the Leadership Award. One of three captains on the team, Lamke had the highest scoring increase of any Big Ten player this year, jumping from 1.1 points per game a year ago to 7.7 this year. In addition, she was the second-most improved rebounder in the Big Ten at +4.3 and posted higher numbers in her senior campaign than in her first three seasons combined.
Senior Irene Garrido Perez and junior Jasmine Brunson were co-winners of the Breakout Award.
All 14 of Garrido Perez's career starts came in the final 14 games of the season. Since making the first start of her career against Purdue on Jan. 24, Garrido Perez averaged 5.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.9 steals per game while playing 35.4 minutes per game. Prior to that, her career totals in those categories were 1.6 points, 0.6 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 0.2 steals while averaging 8.5 minutes.
Brunson played in 30 of 32 games with 27 starts and averaged 8.4 points per game after averaging 2.9 last season. That +5.5 increase was the second best in the Big Ten behind only Lamke (+6.6). No other player in the league was above an increase of 4.7.
The Outwork Award was presented to junior Taiye Bello. She started 31 of 32 games this year and led the team with 11.9 rebounds per game while averaging 9.7 points per contest. Bello set the Minnesota single-season record with 152 offensive rebounds, ranked fourth in team single-season history and tied for seventh in Big Ten history for total rebounds (380), fifth in rebound average and defensive rebounds (228), and seventh in blocks (49). Bello had 19 games this year with at least 10 rebounds, 11 games with at least 15 boards, seven games with at least 18 rebounds and one game with at least 20.
Bell and Pitts were also presented with their First-Team All-Big Ten awards, while Bell, Brunson, Lamke, Pitts, Kehinde Bello and Palma Kaposi were recognized for their Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Looking ahead to next season, Minnesota is scheduled to return eight members of this year's teams, including three of its top four scorers. In addition, it will be welcoming in Whalen's first recruiting class.
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