University of Minnesota Athletics
Thursday, January 16
7:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Iowa
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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Photo by: Kelly Hagenson
Border Rival Iowa Visits Minnesota Thursday Night
1/15/2020 10:20:00 AM | Women's Basketball
MINNEAPOLIS -- In the first of two games between the teams this season, Minnesota (11-5, 1-4 B1G) hosts No. 22/24 Iowa (13-3, 4-1) Thursday night. The game, which starts at 7 p.m. CT, can be streamed on BTNPlus.com and heard on the Gophers' radio home, 96.7 KFAN Plus.
After Thursday's meeting in Minneapolis, the teams will face off again in Iowa City on Feb. 27 in the penultimate game of the regular season.
PROMOTIONS
THE OPENING TIP-OFF
FACING IOWA
LAST SEASON AGAINST THE HAWKEYES
OFFENSE UP IN YEAR TWO UNDER WHALEN
GOPHERS WINNING TURNOVER BATTLE
• Converting turnovers into points has been a trend for the Gophers all season.The Gophers have turned 281 takeaways into 336 points this year, an average of 1.20 points for every turnover forced.
After Thursday's meeting in Minneapolis, the teams will face off again in Iowa City on Feb. 27 in the penultimate game of the regular season.
PROMOTIONS
• Halftime performance: U Can Danz!
THE OPENING TIP-OFF
• Minnesota is 7-3 this season at home, outscoring teams by an average of 76-62. The seven wins came consecutively from Nov. 10 to Dec. 21, one victory away from cracking the top 10 for longest home win streaks in program history. Gadiva Hubbard (11.6) is one of three Gophers averaging double figures at Williams Arena this year, while Taiye Bello is averaging a double-double with 12.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per home game.
• The Gophers lead the Big Ten and rank 38th in the country in free throw percentage at 75.1 percent, making 208 of 277 attempts. The next closest B1G team to Minnesota in percentage is Iowa at 73.7 percent. Jasmine Powell is 10th in the league from the line at 74.6 percent.
• Senior Taiye Bello has posted seven double-doubles this year, including a stretch of four straight at one point. She also has had four other games this year where she was either one point or one rebound away from a double-double. Her seven double-doubles rank second in the Big Ten and are 27th nationally. In her career, Bello has 22 double-doubles to rank sixth in Gophers history, and the Gophers are 19-3 in those games. Through Tuesday's action, she was one of just 26 players nationally, and the only one from the Big Ten, with her averages of 13.0 points and 9.9 rebounds per game this year.
• In Big Ten play, Sara Scalia is second in the league in 3-point percentage (.480) and fifth in 3-pointers made per game (2.4), while Taiye Bello is fourth in defensive rebounds per game (6.3), fifth in rebounding average (9.5), sixth in offensive boards per game (3.3), 10th in blocks (1.3) and 11th in field goal percentage (.488), Gadiva Hubbard is seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8-to-1), 12th in assists per game (3.6) and 15th in steals (1.6), and Barbora Tomancova is seventh in rebound average (9.0) and offensive rebounds per game (3.0) and sixth in defensive boards (6.0).
• Minnesota enters Thursday's game out of the polls for the first time this season, while Iowa is No. 22 in the Associated Press Poll and 24th in the Coaches Poll. Thursday will be only the second game against a ranked opponent for the Gophers this year as they beat then-No. 19 Arizona State, 80-66, on Nov. 17. Minnesota is 3-6 all-time against teams ranked 22nd by the AP, but has gone 2-2 in the last four matchups.
• The Gophers lead the Big Ten and rank 38th in the country in free throw percentage at 75.1 percent, making 208 of 277 attempts. The next closest B1G team to Minnesota in percentage is Iowa at 73.7 percent. Jasmine Powell is 10th in the league from the line at 74.6 percent.
• Senior Taiye Bello has posted seven double-doubles this year, including a stretch of four straight at one point. She also has had four other games this year where she was either one point or one rebound away from a double-double. Her seven double-doubles rank second in the Big Ten and are 27th nationally. In her career, Bello has 22 double-doubles to rank sixth in Gophers history, and the Gophers are 19-3 in those games. Through Tuesday's action, she was one of just 26 players nationally, and the only one from the Big Ten, with her averages of 13.0 points and 9.9 rebounds per game this year.
• In Big Ten play, Sara Scalia is second in the league in 3-point percentage (.480) and fifth in 3-pointers made per game (2.4), while Taiye Bello is fourth in defensive rebounds per game (6.3), fifth in rebounding average (9.5), sixth in offensive boards per game (3.3), 10th in blocks (1.3) and 11th in field goal percentage (.488), Gadiva Hubbard is seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8-to-1), 12th in assists per game (3.6) and 15th in steals (1.6), and Barbora Tomancova is seventh in rebound average (9.0) and offensive rebounds per game (3.0) and sixth in defensive boards (6.0).
• Minnesota enters Thursday's game out of the polls for the first time this season, while Iowa is No. 22 in the Associated Press Poll and 24th in the Coaches Poll. Thursday will be only the second game against a ranked opponent for the Gophers this year as they beat then-No. 19 Arizona State, 80-66, on Nov. 17. Minnesota is 3-6 all-time against teams ranked 22nd by the AP, but has gone 2-2 in the last four matchups.
FACING IOWA
• Renewing its most-played rivalry, Minnesota will host Iowa Thursday in the 79th meeting between the schools. The Gophers trail in the all-time series 51-27.
• Dating to Jan. of 2014, the teams have alternated wins in each of the last nine contests.
• Like with the overall series, Minnesota has faced Iowa at home more than any other team and trails by two games in the series in Minneapolis, 19-17. The Gophers have won three of the last four over the Hawkeyes at Williams Arena.
• Minnesota has two Iowans on its roster in freshmen Grace Cumming (Roosevelt HS) and Justice Ross (East HS), both of whom hail from Des Moines. Iowa has one Minnesotan on its roster: sophomore Monika Czinano from Watertown and Watertown-Mayer High School.
• Iowa is 13-3 on the season and 4-1 in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes have won eight of their last nine contests, including consecutive wins at home over then-No. 17 Maryland last Thursday and then-No. 12 Indiana Sunday.
• Kathleen Doyle leads the team with 18.1 points and 6.1 assists per game, while Czinano (15.4) and Makenzie Meyer (15.1) are both averaging over 15 points per game. Amanda Ollinger is the team's top rebounder at 9.1 rebounds per contest.
• As a team, Iowa leads the Big Ten in assists (335; 2nd nationally), assists per game (20.9; 4th), field goal percentage (6th), 3-pointers made (133; 25th) and 3-pointers made per game (8.3; 28th).
• Individually, Doyle leads the Big Ten in assists (97; 7th nationally) and assists per game (6.1; 8th), while Czinano leads the league in field goal percentage (69.1; 2nd) and Meyer has the most made 3-pointers (45; 26th).
• Dating to Jan. of 2014, the teams have alternated wins in each of the last nine contests.
• Like with the overall series, Minnesota has faced Iowa at home more than any other team and trails by two games in the series in Minneapolis, 19-17. The Gophers have won three of the last four over the Hawkeyes at Williams Arena.
• Minnesota has two Iowans on its roster in freshmen Grace Cumming (Roosevelt HS) and Justice Ross (East HS), both of whom hail from Des Moines. Iowa has one Minnesotan on its roster: sophomore Monika Czinano from Watertown and Watertown-Mayer High School.
• Iowa is 13-3 on the season and 4-1 in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes have won eight of their last nine contests, including consecutive wins at home over then-No. 17 Maryland last Thursday and then-No. 12 Indiana Sunday.
• Kathleen Doyle leads the team with 18.1 points and 6.1 assists per game, while Czinano (15.4) and Makenzie Meyer (15.1) are both averaging over 15 points per game. Amanda Ollinger is the team's top rebounder at 9.1 rebounds per contest.
• As a team, Iowa leads the Big Ten in assists (335; 2nd nationally), assists per game (20.9; 4th), field goal percentage (6th), 3-pointers made (133; 25th) and 3-pointers made per game (8.3; 28th).
• Individually, Doyle leads the Big Ten in assists (97; 7th nationally) and assists per game (6.1; 8th), while Czinano leads the league in field goal percentage (69.1; 2nd) and Meyer has the most made 3-pointers (45; 26th).
LAST SEASON AGAINST THE HAWKEYES
• Minnesota held an eight-point lead at halftime but couldn't hang on in the second half in an 81-63 loss to Iowa at Williams Arena on Jan. 14.
• Kenisha Bell was one of three in double figures for the Golden Gophers, leading the way with a team-high 22 points.
• Taiye Bello produced a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Destiny Pitts broke out of a mini-scoring slump with 16 points, led the team with four assists and tied a career high with three steals.
• Down 26-21 with 8:31 to play in the second quarter, Minnesota scored eight straight points and outscored Iowa 17-4 over the next seven minutes to pull ahead 38-30 and lead 40-32 at halftime.
• Unfortunately, the eight-point lead couldn't hold up as the third quarter began. Iowa scored the first six points and 20 of the first 23 in the frame to grab a 52-43 lead with 2:45 to play in the third. A three-point play from Bello got the Gophers within six at 54-48 with under a minute to play in the quarter, but that would be as close as Minnesota would get the rest of the way.
RECAPPING THE GAME AT ILLINOIS
• Kenisha Bell was one of three in double figures for the Golden Gophers, leading the way with a team-high 22 points.
• Taiye Bello produced a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Destiny Pitts broke out of a mini-scoring slump with 16 points, led the team with four assists and tied a career high with three steals.
• Down 26-21 with 8:31 to play in the second quarter, Minnesota scored eight straight points and outscored Iowa 17-4 over the next seven minutes to pull ahead 38-30 and lead 40-32 at halftime.
• Unfortunately, the eight-point lead couldn't hold up as the third quarter began. Iowa scored the first six points and 20 of the first 23 in the frame to grab a 52-43 lead with 2:45 to play in the third. A three-point play from Bello got the Gophers within six at 54-48 with under a minute to play in the quarter, but that would be as close as Minnesota would get the rest of the way.
RECAPPING THE GAME AT ILLINOIS
• Despite four players in double figures, Minnesota was unable to complete a late comeback in a 74-71 loss Sunday at Illinois.
• Sara Scalia and Jasmine Powell were the top scorers for Minnesota, while Jasmine Brunson and Gadiva Hubbard also reached double figures.
• After scoring 20 points in her past three games combined, Scalia busted out for 16 points Sunday thanks to three 3-pointers, and she matched a career high with seven rebounds and 37 minutes played.
• Powell's 15 points were the most she had scored since putting up 16 against Milwaukee on Nov. 14, while Brunson's 14 points were one off a season high. Hubbard's 12 points were aided by a game-high five assists.
• The Illini had their biggest lead of the game at 68-56 with 4:28 to play but the Gophers wouldn't go down without a fight.
• Scalia made a three and Brunson followed with a jumper to cut the lead to seven with 3:20 to go. After a pair of made free throws for Illinois' Petra Holesínská, who had a game-high 28 points, Hubbard got it to within six on a 3-pointer.
• After Holesínská and Powell traded more free throws, Brunson hit a 3-pointer in the corner, stole the ball on the ensuing possession and fed Powell for a layup to get Minnesota within one at 72-71 with 1:11 to play.
• Unfortunately, the inbounds pass on the Gophers' next possession was stolen and a pair of free throws pushed the Illini lead back to three at 74-71 with 11 seconds to go.Minnesota had a chance to tie it up but Powell's 3-pointer at the buzzer hit the rim.
• Klarke Sconiers got her set career highs for rebounds (5) and minutes (19) and was one off her career high in points (6). Masha Adashchyk also made her first start and tallied eight points and matched a personal best with four rebounds, while Barbora Tomancova had a career-high nine rebounds after having nine rebounds on the season coming into the contest.
• Sara Scalia and Jasmine Powell were the top scorers for Minnesota, while Jasmine Brunson and Gadiva Hubbard also reached double figures.
• After scoring 20 points in her past three games combined, Scalia busted out for 16 points Sunday thanks to three 3-pointers, and she matched a career high with seven rebounds and 37 minutes played.
• Powell's 15 points were the most she had scored since putting up 16 against Milwaukee on Nov. 14, while Brunson's 14 points were one off a season high. Hubbard's 12 points were aided by a game-high five assists.
• The Illini had their biggest lead of the game at 68-56 with 4:28 to play but the Gophers wouldn't go down without a fight.
• Scalia made a three and Brunson followed with a jumper to cut the lead to seven with 3:20 to go. After a pair of made free throws for Illinois' Petra Holesínská, who had a game-high 28 points, Hubbard got it to within six on a 3-pointer.
• After Holesínská and Powell traded more free throws, Brunson hit a 3-pointer in the corner, stole the ball on the ensuing possession and fed Powell for a layup to get Minnesota within one at 72-71 with 1:11 to play.
• Unfortunately, the inbounds pass on the Gophers' next possession was stolen and a pair of free throws pushed the Illini lead back to three at 74-71 with 11 seconds to go.Minnesota had a chance to tie it up but Powell's 3-pointer at the buzzer hit the rim.
• Klarke Sconiers got her set career highs for rebounds (5) and minutes (19) and was one off her career high in points (6). Masha Adashchyk also made her first start and tallied eight points and matched a personal best with four rebounds, while Barbora Tomancova had a career-high nine rebounds after having nine rebounds on the season coming into the contest.
OFFENSE UP IN YEAR TWO UNDER WHALEN
• Through 16 games, the Minnesota offense has picked up its scoring and production in year two under head coach Lindsay Whalen.
• The Gophers are averaging 74.8 points per game this year, nearly 3.5 points better than the 71.4 points they were averaging at this same stage a season ago.
• The Gophers' shooting percentage on 3-pointers is 101 points better than last year even though they have 96 more attempts this year. The team's current .391 mark on 3-pointers is on pace to be the third best in school history behind the record of .399 set in 1988-89 and .393 in 2013-14.
• Minnesota is also 73 points better on free throws as it leads the Big Ten and ranks 37th nationally by shooting .751 percent from the line. That figure would rank among the top five percentages from the line in team history.
• Six Gophers have attempted at least 20 free throws this year and all are shooting better than 70 percent, including Jasmine Powell (74.6), who ranks 10th in the B1G in free throw percentage. Last year at this stage, of the six players with at least 10 attempts, only two were shooting above 68 percent from the line.
FRESHMEN POWELL, SCALIA MAKING INSTANT IMPACT
• The Gophers are averaging 74.8 points per game this year, nearly 3.5 points better than the 71.4 points they were averaging at this same stage a season ago.
• The Gophers' shooting percentage on 3-pointers is 101 points better than last year even though they have 96 more attempts this year. The team's current .391 mark on 3-pointers is on pace to be the third best in school history behind the record of .399 set in 1988-89 and .393 in 2013-14.
• Minnesota is also 73 points better on free throws as it leads the Big Ten and ranks 37th nationally by shooting .751 percent from the line. That figure would rank among the top five percentages from the line in team history.
• Six Gophers have attempted at least 20 free throws this year and all are shooting better than 70 percent, including Jasmine Powell (74.6), who ranks 10th in the B1G in free throw percentage. Last year at this stage, of the six players with at least 10 attempts, only two were shooting above 68 percent from the line.
FRESHMEN POWELL, SCALIA MAKING INSTANT IMPACT
• Minnesota has six freshmen on its 2019-20 roster and some are already making significant contributions.
• Sara Scalia, who has started every contest this year except for the season opener, is second on the team in field goal percentage (.457), 3-point percentage (.433), free throw percentage (.800), steals (25) and minutes per game (30.3), third in rebounding average (4.5) and fourth in scoring (10.7).
• Scalia's 3-point percentage of 43.3 stands as the best ever by a Gopher freshman (min. 40 attempts) and is currently the fifth best in one season at Minnesota (min. 50 attempts).
• Within the Big Ten, Scalia leads all freshmen in 3-pointers made per game (1.8), is second in minutes and steals per game (1.6), third in scoring average and seventh in rebounding average.
• Against Bryant on Nov. 26, she scored 20 points and tied a career high with seven rebounds en route to being named B1G Freshman of the Week. She followed that at George Washington on Dec. 10 when she set or tied multiple career highs, including points (23), rebounds (7), steals (4) and blocks (2). She scored 22 points in her Big Ten debut at Penn State on Dec. 28, tying a career high with five 3-pointers made and matching career bests in both rebounds (7) and assists (4).
• Jasmine Powell, who has come off the bench in all 16 games, is fifth on the team in scoring at 9.0 points per game and has a 1.60-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, which ranks 10th in the Big Ten. She's also 44-of-59 (.746) at the line to lead the team in free attempts and rank second in free throws made, while having the 10th best free throw percentage in Big Ten.
• Within the Big Ten, Powell leads all freshmen in free throw percentage, is second in assists per game (3.0), third in assist-to-turnover ratio, seventh in steals per game (1.4), eighth in scoring average and 10th in minutes per game (19.9).
• 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 six games this year.
• With Scalia averaging 10.7 points per game and Powell at 9.0, the Gophers' duo is showing the makings of one of the top freshman scoring combinations in recent program history. In the last 25 years, the only other season in which more than one freshman averaged at least 9.0 points per game came in 2000-01 when current head coach Lindsay Whalen (17.0) and Tanisha Gilbert (14.7) did it.
• Additionally, the four freshmen that have played this year, including Klarke Sconiers (4.0 ppg) and Barbora Tomancova (0.7), have combined for 24.4 points per game, the highest figure among Gopher freshmen in the last 13 years and third largest in the last 25 years.
• Sara Scalia, who has started every contest this year except for the season opener, is second on the team in field goal percentage (.457), 3-point percentage (.433), free throw percentage (.800), steals (25) and minutes per game (30.3), third in rebounding average (4.5) and fourth in scoring (10.7).
• Scalia's 3-point percentage of 43.3 stands as the best ever by a Gopher freshman (min. 40 attempts) and is currently the fifth best in one season at Minnesota (min. 50 attempts).
• Within the Big Ten, Scalia leads all freshmen in 3-pointers made per game (1.8), is second in minutes and steals per game (1.6), third in scoring average and seventh in rebounding average.
• Against Bryant on Nov. 26, she scored 20 points and tied a career high with seven rebounds en route to being named B1G Freshman of the Week. She followed that at George Washington on Dec. 10 when she set or tied multiple career highs, including points (23), rebounds (7), steals (4) and blocks (2). She scored 22 points in her Big Ten debut at Penn State on Dec. 28, tying a career high with five 3-pointers made and matching career bests in both rebounds (7) and assists (4).
• Jasmine Powell, who has come off the bench in all 16 games, is fifth on the team in scoring at 9.0 points per game and has a 1.60-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, which ranks 10th in the Big Ten. She's also 44-of-59 (.746) at the line to lead the team in free attempts and rank second in free throws made, while having the 10th best free throw percentage in Big Ten.
• Within the Big Ten, Powell leads all freshmen in free throw percentage, is second in assists per game (3.0), third in assist-to-turnover ratio, seventh in steals per game (1.4), eighth in scoring average and 10th in minutes per game (19.9).
• 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 six games this year.
• With Scalia averaging 10.7 points per game and Powell at 9.0, the Gophers' duo is showing the makings of one of the top freshman scoring combinations in recent program history. In the last 25 years, the only other season in which more than one freshman averaged at least 9.0 points per game came in 2000-01 when current head coach Lindsay Whalen (17.0) and Tanisha Gilbert (14.7) did it.
• Additionally, the four freshmen that have played this year, including Klarke Sconiers (4.0 ppg) and Barbora Tomancova (0.7), have combined for 24.4 points per game, the highest figure among Gopher freshmen in the last 13 years and third largest in the last 25 years.
GOPHERS WINNING TURNOVER BATTLE
• Minnesota is winning the turnover battle so far, forcing 281 turnovers while giving the ball away just 208 times through 16 games.
• Not only do the Gophers rank second in the Big Ten and 25th nationally with with just 13.0 turnovers committed per game, they are also third in the B1G in turnover margin (+4.56; 38th nationally), fourth in turnovers forced per game (17.56) and sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.09; 51st 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 four games this year with 10 or fewer turnovers and only five contests where it has turned the ball over more than 15 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 25th nationally with with just 13.0 turnovers committed per game, they are also third in the B1G in turnover margin (+4.56; 38th nationally), fourth in turnovers forced per game (17.56) and sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.09; 51st 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 four games this year with 10 or fewer turnovers and only five contests where it has turned the ball over more than 15 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.The Gophers have turned 281 takeaways into 336 points this year, an average of 1.20 points for every turnover forced.
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